Rocky Mount High School | Archive | January, 2017

Nash Centeral’s Montre’ Cash, center, looses possession of the ball as Rocky Mount High’s Dontea Evans jr, left reaches for the loose ball Friday at Nash Central.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / SARAH LOUYA

Nash Central’s Anna Shaye Thompson, left, fouls Rocky Mount High’s Keyanna Spivey Friday at Nash Central.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / SARAH LOUYA

Nash Centeral’s Devon Macklin,left, and Rocky Mount High’s Shyheim Battle jump up for the rebound Friday at Nash Centeral.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / SARAH LOUYA

Fans began to fill the aisles of the bleachers at Nash Central High School and filtered out of the gym with about four minutes remaining in the boys’ basketball game against Rocky Mount High. That’s because the Bulldogs’ Montre Cash sent them home early.

Cash scored points at will and led an important third-quarter run to put away the Gryphons as Nash Central picked up a 72-58 win in Friday’s 3-A Big East Conference game.

“We threw everything at him,” RMH coach Michael Gainey said of Cash. “We threw the kitchen sink, I mean everything, and he still shot the ball well.”

The senior poured in 34 points, a new career high. He made a couple 3-pointers, but did most of damage by finishing silky drives to the rim. His slashing ability created open space on the perimeter for Elijah Cole, who added 16 points.

RMH (6-8, 2-4) held a slim 16-14 lead after the first quarter as it was able to space the floor and keep the Bulldogs from getting out into transition. Damian Moore knocked down a pair of 3s, and Joshua Pittman and Joseph Blue scored around the rim for the Gryphons, But RMH couldn’t keep the Bulldogs at bay in the second quarter, as Cash found his range and had 17 points by halftime to give Nash Central a 37-32 lead.

Nash Central (13-4, 5-1) played its best basketball out of the break, and used a 13-3 run to break the score open. The Gryphons ran a press to try and slow down the Bulldogs’ offense, and used a halfcourt trap to occupy the guards at midcourt. But Nash Central was ready for that, too, and went to a press-breaker it has had success with since the Christmas tournament. It was a variation on one that coach Renny Taylor has used his entire career, but he threw in a new wrinkle last month that has been more effective. The breaker revolves around Devon Macklin in the middle, and a quick passes to inch the ball forward until a lane opens.

“We’re a good press-breaking team,” Cash said. “Macklin is great in the middle, me and Elijah are strong on the ball, and we’ve got some good players on the wings that can get open and make the right plays. Once we started to pull away in the third, I knew we had this one.”

Cole was the kickout option for Cash, and he responded with several 3s and even got to the foul line seven times, making six of those shots. Taylor said Cole arrived at school early Friday morning to watch film with his coach, and has been smarter with the ball.

“Elijah was in a terrible slump early in the season,” Taylor said. “He felt pressure to shoot everything, and would sometimes be frantic with the ball. But the more we watched film the more he understood what he was doing, and now he’s playing under control and you’re seeing him play to his ability.”

The Gryphons offense dried up after most of their energy was focused on defense, and managed just eight points in the third quarter. That deficit proved to be too much to rebound from. Blue led RMH with 17 poiints, with Shyheim Battle and Moore each adding eight points.

But this game belonged to Cash and the Bulldogs, who are proving that they can play with anyone.

Girls

Rocky Mount High 51

Nash Central 36

Rocky Mount High was down a starter and pace-setter in guard Michelle Gainey, but her absence didn’t slow the Gryphons as they pounded the paint in a convincing 3-A Big East Conference win on Friday.

Gainey sat due to a lingering knee issue, and it was Keyanna Spivey who picked up the added responsibilty. The strong forward attacked the rim often and scored a game-high 24 points, even as she drew two defenders. Spivey also pulled down 13 rebounds.

“I knew I had to step up with Michelle out,” Spivey said. “I played as hard as I usually play, but I had more intensity because you know the team is going to need it.”

Spivey couldn’t be slowed as the Bulldogs don’t have a true post defender on the roster. She would step out to the 3-point arc in order to get a clean touch away from the double team, then went right back into the lane. Starting in Gainey’s place was Mya Pittman, a sophomore guard who usually provides a spark off the bench. Pittman had eight points, and helped defend the Bulldogs’ trio of talented guards.

“I knew that I had to bring it as a starter,” Pittman said. “It was a good feeling, because my teammates have been on me to have a game just like this.”

Nash Central (8-7, 3-2) got points from just three players, but each proved hard to stop.

Kayalin Mitchell had a team-high 16 points, while Michaela Nelms added 12 and Myia Spivey had eight.

Nelms showed off her ability to finish in the lane, and Mitchell knocked down jump shots to keep the score tight, but a three-point second quarter and an 8-0 RMH run doomed the Bulldogs.

“It’s hard when you plays teams opposite you,” Mitchell said. “They have some great players in the post, and we have more guards. I’ve been working on developing my game so I can score from diffrent spots. But we just have to keep working as a team and fight through this.”

The Gryphons (13-2, 6-0) stayed perfect in conference play with the win.

BOYS

Nash Central 72

Rocky Mount High 58

RMH 16 16 8 18 – 58

NC 14 23 19 16 – 72

RMH: Joshua Pittman 4; Jamar Ellis 4; Damian Moore 8; Shyheim Battle 8; Spencer Ramsey 2; Rodney Alston 11; Joseph Blue 17; Artavious Richardson 4

NC: Devon Macklin 9; Montre Cash 34; Tim Bridgers 5; Elijah Cole 16; Dominick Dixon 1; Ta’Rod Brown 5; Wrayshon Battle 2

GIRLS

Rocky Mount High 51

Nash Central 36

RMH 11 14 11 15 – 51

NC 7 3 10 16 – 36

RMH: Danasha Uzzell 4; Tristan Moore 1; Ashley Hatfield 2; Shelby Meeks 10; Mya Pittman 8; Keyanna Spivey 24; Vanessa Ward 2

NC: Michaela Nelms 12; Kayalin Mitchell 16; Myia Spivey 8

Patrick Mason can be reached at 407-9952 or pmason@rmtelegram.com

BY PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram

Saturday, January 28, 2017

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Southern Nash’s Kendric Bell, left, and Rocky Mount High’s Damian Moore reach for the ball at Rocky Mount High on Friday.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / SARAH LOUYA

Rocky Mount High’s Joseph Blue, left, tries to block Southern Nash’s Darius Edmundson’s shot at Rocky Mount High on Friday.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / SARAH LOUYA

Rocky Mount High basketball coach Michael Gainey has a few ideas about where to play Joseph Blue. The thing is, the sophomore continues to break away from traditional thinking. His shooting should draw him further from the basket, but the way he maneuvers around the basket has him playing in the paint.

“I really want to play him at the 3,” Gainey said of playing Blue at the small forward position. “He has a great shot, but he is so tough near the basket that it’s hard to guard him down there. He creates a matchup problem every time.”

For now, Blue has locked down the power foward position, and that’s just fine for the Gryphons as they rode the hot-shooting Blue to a 63-59 win over visiting Southern Nash in a 3-A Big East Conference game on Friday.

Blue scored in every quarter, but did most of his damage in the second and fourth to finish with a game-high 26 points, six rebounds, three blocks and three steals. He is just shy of averaging a double-double this season with points and rebounds, and has scored at least 20 points in each of the Gryphons’ five wins.

“I really like the way he plays,” teammate Isaiah Morris said. “And he’s just a sophomore. He can play when we slow it down, and he can score when we run.”

Morris, RMH’s senior point guard, added 12 points and provided the fast style of play that challenged Southern Nash in transition. The firebirds handled the pace well, and proved they could run the floor, too, especially in the second half.

The Firebirds (5-12, 0-3) trailed 30-27 at halftime, but grabbed a slim lead heading into the fourth quarter with a flurry of points in the final minute, including a couple important shots from junior guard Tyler Wilson. Wilson, who led Southern Nash with 15 points, found his range and made a pair of contested 3-pointers to put the Firebirds up 44-43.

Wilson made four 3s in the game, and said his efficiency from behind the arc helped boost his confidence after a stretch of games where his shots weren’t falling.

“It felt good to hit those because it reminds me that my shot is still there,” Wilson said. “It also lets my teammates know that I have their back when they pass me the ball.”

Southern Nash used that spark at the end of the third quarter to hold onto the lead until midway through the fourth, but it couldn’t pull away from the Gryphons, who took advantage of the Firebirds’ fouling troubles. Southern Nash picked up its seventh foul with 30.3 seconds remaining in the third quarter to put RMH in the bonus for the rest of the game.

That opened up the lane for the Gryphons, and they attacked often which resulted in 18 free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter. RMH struggled to take advantage, making 10 of the 18 attempts, but made just enough to keep the game out of reach. And after a 3-for-6 start from the line, Blue was put away any chance of a Firebirds comeback by sinking the final four of his foul shots.

Girls

Rocky Mount High 54

Southern Nash 9

Shelby Meeks added a new wrinkle to her game, and dazzled from behind the 3-point arc and in the lane to lead Rocky Mount High to a commanding win over Southern Nash in a 3-A Big East Conference game Friday.

Meeks scored a season-high 22 points with the help of five 3-pointers. That part of her game is something the Gryphons (10-2, 3-0) expect out of the senior guard. But the way she was able to slash to the basket proved to be too much for the overmatched Firebirds. Meeks connected on two driving layups in the second quarter after draining three 3s. She also went to the foul line four times.

“Shooting has always been the best part of my game,” Meeks said. “Being at the gym with my dad all the time, he’ll rebound my shots for hours. Just recently, though, I started picking my spots to drive and I’ve seen good results.”

Her teammates have benifitted from Meeks’ dual-threat style of play, as the inside-outside game had the Gryphons humming along. Strong post prescence Keyanna Spivey added 10 points and Tristan Moore added six points on two 3s.

Southern Nash (3-11, 0-3) struggled to score against RMH’s zone and man defenses which it would deploy at various points throughout the game. The Firebirds were held scoreless in the third quarter, after trailing 32-5 at halftime. Jessy Lucas was the top scorer for the Firebirds with three points, while three other players added two points apiece.

By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram

Saturday, January 21, 2017

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Rocky Mount High’s Joseph Blue, left, spins around Nash Central’s Ta’rod Brown, center, as Nash Central’s Isaiah Jones also defends Thursday during the game at Rocky Mount High School.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / ALAN CAMPBELL

Rocky Mount High’s Shyheim Battle, left, looks to pass as Nash Central’s Chris High defends Thursday during the game at Rocky Mount High School.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / ALAN CAMPBELL

Rocky Mount High’s Keyanna Spivey, right, drives around Nash Central’s Myia Spivey during the game Thursday at Rocky Mount High School.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / ALAN CAMPBELL

Renny Taylor calls them his four-minute guys. These are the players that the Nash Central boys’ basketball coach can count on to provide a spark while Taylor rests his starters. And during Thursday’s 3-A Big East Conference game against Rocky Mount High, those four-minute guys made the most of their time.

Sophomores Chris High and Ta’Rod Brown took advantage of their time on the court and helped the Bulldogs pull off a 60-55 win over the host Gryphons.

“They stepped in and got us going,” Taylor said. “I think they prove that we have a deep team with all the things they can do for us.”

Nash Central (9-3, 1-0 Big East) started slow and couldn’t find its halfcourt offense. The problem, however, wasn’t glaring because the Gryphons had the same issue. The teams were tied at 27-27 heading into halftime, and Taylor was looking for an answer. High and Brown proved to be just that.

High scored five points and went 3 of 4 from the foul line, including a free thow in the waning seconds to give the Bulldogs a two-possession lead. Brown, meanwhile, matched a career high with 10 points and played minutes in every quarter. Brown was also one of three players in double figures along with Elijah Cole’s 11 points and Montre Cash’s game-high 19.

“When you just get a few minutes every game you don’t want to mess up,” Brown said. “But once you get on the floor you don’t think about that and you just compete. I think that mentality has helped when it comes to contributing to this team.”

Added High: “We’re young guys trying to make an impact. If coach needs us to provide some energy or defense or whatever, that’s what we’re going to do.”

The score was tied at 42-42 by the end of the third quarter, and the Gryphons (6-6, 0-1) managed to grab a slim lead at 48-47. RMH junior guard Jamar Ellis, who finished with 14 points, scored four in the fourth quarter, while Artavious Richardson played strong defense and delivered a punishing block to keep the lead, but the Gryphons couldn’t find a way to score down the stretch. Joseph Blue had a team-high 16 points but only had two in the final frame. Damian Moore hit a late 3-pointer to cut the Gryphons’ deficit to 58-55, but RMH couldn’t get any closer. Nash Central pushed the pace and found its way to free-throw line where it closed out the game.

“We left a lot of points out there,” Gryphons coach Michael Gainey said. “We missed too many layups. It’s a mental thing. We just need to get the guys all on the same page and we’ll be fine.”

Rocky Mount High 61

Nash Central 52

Michelle Gainey and Keyanna Spivey had an inside-out attack that led the Rocky Mount High girls basketball team to a 3-A Big East Conference win over a Nash Central team that ran out of scoring threats.

Spivey required constant attention from the Bulldogs under the basket, and even a cluster of bodies couldn’t slow the senior who poured in a game-high 24 points, continuing a season-long streak of scoring in double figures in each game. Gainey was the other threat, knocking down mid-range jumpers and driving the basket to the tune of 14 points.

“I can just do this look,” Gainey said, “and Keyanna will know what to do. We’ve been playing together a long time so we know how to create some shots.”

Nash Central (6-6, 1-1 Big East) looked to have RMH figured out early. Michaela Nelms had 15 points before halftime and scored from just about everywhere on the court. She opened the game with a 3-pointer, then added a steal and a layup soon after. She could only be slowed by foul trouble, and that’s what shut down the Bulldogs. Nelms picked up her fourth foul with 2:47 left in the third quarter, then fouled out 14 seconds later with 20 points when she was called for charging. Nash Central trailed 41-39 at that point, and without Nelms, the deficit only grew larger.

The Gryphons (8-2, 1-0) pulled away and led by as many as 15 before the Bulldogs got the score under control. Sophomore Kayalin Mitchell was the reason, scoring 15 of her 18 points in the second half.

“Mitchell really stepped up for us,” Nash Central coach Terri Cash said. “That’s a lot to put on a sophomore’s shoulders, and she handled that situation really well. She was essential to keeping us in this game.”

By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram

Friday, January 6, 2017

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Rocky Mount High’s Artavious Richardson is the 2016 Telegram All-Area Football Defensive Player of the Year.

On a recent night, Artavious Richardson was on Twitter – not a farfetched thing for a high school student.

He sent out a tweet around 8 p.m., a short and straightforward message that carried some heft.

The Rocky Mount High senior defensive end announced the three colleges he was considering. It came with the message, “It is a blessing to say this,” with some emojis tossed in.

An athlete posting his or her top schools is not unusual. But the 2016 Telegram All-Area Defensive Player of the Year signaled many things with his post naming Gardner-Webb, Norfolk State and N.C. A&T.

That his effort had been rewarded.

That his future was coming together.

And that he proved the people wrong who told him he needed to change.

“It comes with a whole lot of hard work, dedication and time,” Richardson said. “It is a blessing for me to even be in the category to be recruited by those schools.

“So many recruiters — not them (his top three) — but so many other people have said I was too small or undersized to play defensive end. And it is a blessing to be recruited by those three schools.”

Heading into his junior season, when recruiting typically heats up for prep athletes, he started hearing that he might not be the right size. Some recruiters suggested a move to outside linebacker. It hurt Richardson. He felt disappointed to be painted into that category before getting a chance to prove himself.

But those negative feelings didn’t last.

“(Those people) weren’t with me when I was putting in all the hard work and dedication it took to play defensive end,” Richardson said. “They were just looking from the outside.”

Rocky Mount High defensive coordinator Jermaine Jones saw Richardson’s mentality intensify. The lineman demanded more out of himself, his teammates, and even his coaches. Jones laughed about how Richardson would disrupt his summer relaxation by asking him to come oversee his workouts.

In the Gryphons’ scheme, the defensive ends play a crucial role in making the unit thrive. Jones said athletic ability took over once Richardson learned his role and that of his teammates. That is what makes Richardson’s upcoming graduation hard for his coordinator.

“You are losing some leadership, a dependable person, a team captain, you’re losing drive and determination and experience,” Jones said. “If you’ve got a necklace that you are going to give your wife, you are missing the perfect charm to go on that necklace.

“That is what you are missing, man. He is the glue that keeps everything together. Not only during games, but every day in practice.”

His last two years, Richardson worked himself into a defensive force. He had 107 total tackles and 16 tackles for loss in 2015, leading Rocky Mount High to the 3-A state title and the first football championship since 1963. This year, he had 88 tackles, an astounding 19 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.

The Gryphons reflected Richardson’s attitude this season. With players from the title team to replace, it forced new faces into the lineups. Rocky Mount took lumps during the season, earning losses to powerful 4-A Apex Middle Creek and Big East rival Southern Nash during the regular season. The Gryphons entered the playoffs as a four seed, earning an opening round home game, but they forced on the road the rest of the way.

Richardson and company charged their way back to the title game, falling to Belmont South Point, 16-7. While disappointing, Richardson and his teammates weren’t distraught with the loss. He was proud the team made it back to the championship game to defend its title.

For the defensive end that his teammates call ‘Tater,’ his determination to grow came from the team’s need for him to play that role. The fact that he and his teammates shattered expectations in the process makes their achievements more special.

“I felt like I could perfect my craft at defensive end and prove people wrong,” Richardson said. “At Rocky Mount, that is all we did. We proved people wrong because everybody seemed to think we couldn’t do this or we couldn’t do that.

“But that is life. I just dealt with it, let it be my energizer, and let it develop my skills as a defensive end.”

ALL-AREA FOOTBALL TEAM

Offense

Travis Griffin, Jr., QB, Nash Central – Griffin threw for 1,616 yards passing with 16 touchdowns. He rushed for 7 more scores.

Kendrick Bell, Jr., RB, Southern Nash – Bell rushed for 1,075 yards and 16 total touchdowns for the Big East champ Firebirds.

B.J. Sanders, Sr., RB, Rocky Mount High – Sanders had 1,359 yards rushing on 213 carries for 16 total touchdowns. He had eight games with more than 100 yards.

K.K. Edwards, Sr. WR, Rocky Mount High – Edwards had 49 receptions and 715 yards receiving with four touchdowns for the Gryphons.

C.J. Pearce, Sr., WR, Nash Central – The senior had 39 receptions for 768 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns.

Zonovan ‘Bam’ Knight, So., FLEX, Southern Nash – Knight had 1,007 yards rushing, 21 total touchdowns and drew raves from Big East coaches.

Qua’tavis Harrell, Sr., OL, North Edgecombe – Harrell led the way for three 1,000 yard rushers on the 11-2 Warriors.

David Keck, Sr., OL, Rocky Mount High – Keck was the center and long snapper for a Rocky Mount attack that ran for more than 4,000 yards.

Michael Wiggins, Sr. OL, Northern Nash – Wiggins was crucial to the Knights’ push into the playoffs.

Josh Taylor, Sr., OL, Southern Nash – Taylor powered an offensive line that helped gain more than 3,300 yards on the ground.

Nathan Paris, Sr., OL, Southern Nash – The tight end-offensive lineman combo provided blocking for two 1,000 yard rushers.

DEFENSE

Artavious Richardson, Sr., DL, Rocky Mount High – Richardson had 88 tackles, 19 for a loss, and 10 sacks for the Gryphons.

Thomas Battle, Sr., DL, Rocky Mount High – Battle had 48 total tackles and clogged the center of the Gryphons’ defensive line.

Phillip Willoughby, Jr., DL, Tarboro – Willoughby had 147 total tackles, 67 of which were solo.

Demetris Perry, Sr., DL, Southern Nash – Perry had 62 total tackles, 20.5 for a loss, 11 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

Sherrod Greene, Sr., LB, Rocky Mount High – The South Carolina commit missed the first two games of the season but still had 96 tackles and grabbed two picks.

Gerquayle Staton, Sr., LB, Tarboro – In the heart of the Vikings’ defense, Staton had 170 tackles, 100 of which were solo tackles.

Alex Nobles, Jr., LB, Nash Central – The Bulldog had 108 total tackels, 16 for a loss, and two sacks.

Detrell Revis, Jr., DB, Rocky Mount High – Revis had 97 tackles and 10 interceptions, emerging as a defensive star.

Romello Denton-Pippin, Sr., DB, Tarboro – Denton-Pippin had 126 tackles and two interceptions for the Vikings.

Ahmad Lyons, Sr., DB, North Edgecombe – Lyons had 60 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two blocked field goals. He also rushed for more than 1,000 yards on offense.

Nadir Thompson, Jr., DB, Southern Nash – The junior had 20 tackles and 1 interception.

SPECIALIST

Dawson Harris, Sr., K, Tarboro – Harris was 51 of 56 PATs and hit seven of his 10 field goal tries.

HONORABLE MENTION

Dae’one Wilkins, Jr., LB, Southern Nash; Dylan Hodges, Sr., LB, SouthWest Edgecombe; Deangelo Collins, Sr., RB, Rocky Mount High; Fookie Williams, Jr., RB, Tarboro; Vernon Whitaker, Sr, RB, Nash Central; Mike Sherrod, Sr., RB, North Edgecombe; DeCarlo Royster, Sr., RB, Northern Nash; Shy’Keem Hussey, Jr., WR, Tarboro; Rod’quon White, Sr., LB, Rocky Mount High; Isaiah ***, Sr., DE, Northern Nash; Kevin Darden, Sr., DL, Nash Central; Chase Miller, Sr., K, Rocky Mount High; Raymond Bullock, Sr., DB, Northern Nash.

By Ethan Joyce
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram

Sunday, December 25, 2016

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Rocky Mount High School’s Barkley Browder is the 2016 Telegram All-Area Girls’ Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

A young girl wanted to spend time with her father who was always on the move. So she laced up her shoes and ran out the door after him.

Rocky Mount High senior Barkley Browder first decided that she wanted to become a strong runner so she could keep pace with her dad. She was just 8 years old and determined to keep up with her father on his nightly jogs around the neighborhood. The middle child of five siblings, Browder figured running would be the perfect way to create some time alone with dad.

By the time Browder reached middle school, she became a constant fixture by her father’s side as the two chased down mile after mile.

“It was just me and my dad,” Browder said. “Me and him run all the time. We used to run more early on after it started in middle school, but now things are crazy so we don’t get to as much. But I won’t forget being young and just around the neighborhood, sometimes running six miles at a time and not even knowing. That’s our bonding thing.”

Browder soon developed a love for running, and turned what started out as a hobby into a passion for competition. Her long frame suited running long distances, and she burst onto the high school scene with a sub 21-minute time her freshman year. Soon, her future filled up with goals to chase down and barriers to burst through.

It wasn’t until her senior year that she became a force, a runner that opponents would look to as a pace setter.

The only problem was that ninth-grade run was as fast as she would get. Browder never posted a time faster than her freshman year time, but had a strong bounce-back year this past season when she won the 3-A Big East Conference title by more than 21 seconds. Displaying her staying power and newly-found speed, Browder held off two Northern Nash runners on the way to her title.

For her performances this season, Browder is the Telegram’s 2016 All-Area Girls’ Cross Country Runner of the Year.

For Browder, the conference race validated a season filled with unorthodox training. Gryphons coach Dee Anna Davis wanted to focus more on the speed aspect of Browder’s runs as the athlete already had a strong endurance base.

“Everyone else would run miles, and I would be off by myself to do one quick, fast mile, then take a break,” Browder said of her training sessions. “Then I would do a second mile at the same quick pace to work on finding that barrier. I just pushed myself harder and harder each time.

“That was something new this year. Mentally, I was more in it. When I was hurting I would slow down and give up in my earlier years. This year I would talk to myself, telling myself that I have to do this, and I’ll regret it at the end of the race if I don’t push myself.”

Those sprints in practice tested Browder’s limits. The goal was to run a mile as fast as possible, and take note of when her body wanted to shut down. Over the course of a few weeks, Browder found herself blasting past previous benchmarks. Then it all came to a halt.

The conference race on Oct. 19 came after Hurricane Matthew wiped away a couple weeks of practices. The meet acted as a measuring stick for most runners to determine where they stood after a long break. Most ran on their own outside of school, but the training wasn’t the same. But that didn’t seem to slow Browder as she put on a show.

“She ran really well,” Davis said. “Especially after having some time off, we weren’t worried about the time so much this meet as we were about feel. That’s the best indicator.”

The Gryphons’ top runner blew away the field and staggered across the finish line. She thought back to her training and opened the race on a torid pace, and left just enough energy for her to move across the finish line. Nothing was left.

“I wanted so bad to break my ninth-grade PR,” Browder said. “I was just 10 seconds off. I pushed myself more, and it was me leading everybody that got me into the right mindset. I pushed myself and didn’t hold back.”

She was hopeful that her performance was a sign of things to come. With the 3-A East Regional the following week, Browder figured she had a real shot at setting a new PR. The focused senior knew what was at stake, after spending the whole season preparing for this shot. She ran almost a minute slower, and finished 42nd at the regional.

Running for Browder has always been about the escape. Escaping a busy home for quiet moments with dad, turned into a personal quest to see how far her body and mind would let her go. As she grew older, she squeezed her running commitments in with other interests.

Learning French was a fun hobby, too, and it was at the forefront of her summer leading into her senior year. Browder went to governor’s school, a six-week course held during the summer covering various topics. She spent more than a month living at Meredith College in Raleigh, speaking only French when inside the classroom.

She can read and comprehend the language, and is working on speaking fluently after just four years. She plans to minor in French, with a major in the medical field. She has applied to four schools, and is choosing between three in North Carolina, as well as the University of Georgia.

“The worst race is when you look back and you know you definitely could have pushed more,” Browder said. “I had a few of those races early in my career, but my senior year I didn’t have as many of those. I just tried to push it as much as I can, and I felt so much better. I can look to my future with no regrets at all.”

FIRST TEAM

BARKLEY BROWDER, SR., ROCKY MOUNT HIGH: Browder won the 3-A Big East Conference title with a time of 21:29.00, more than 21 seconds faster than the nearest finisher.

MACKENZIE PROCTOR, SO., NORTHERN NASH: Proctor finished second in the Big East Conference with a time of 21:50.25 to lead the Knights to a conference title. Proctor was also the top area finisher in the 3-A East Regional with a 16th-place finish, and she could have a clear path to be the area’s top runner next season.

HALIE HUFFMAN, SR., NORTHERN NASH: The other piece of the Knights’ 1-2 punch, Huffman had a strong season and ran to a third-place finish in the 3-A Big East Conference meet. Huffman followed the conference meet up with a strong performance by crossing 26th at the 3-A Regional.

ASHTYN SCHRIMPER, SO., ROCKY MOUNT HIGH: Schrimper was fifth at the Big East meet, and she will be part of a talented, young group in the area.

SOPHIA ATKINS, SO., NORTHERN NASH: Part of a young Knights’ core, Atkins finished sixth at the Big East meet, one of four Knights to finish in the top 10.

MADELINE DALSIMER, SO., ROCKY MOUNT HIGH: Dalsimer was eighth at the Big East meet. She will be an upperclassmen next season and will be part of a talented group to challenge Northern Nash over the next couple seasons.

CAITLYN COOKE, JR., NORTHERN NASH: One of just 10 runners under 23 minutes at the conference meet, Cooke later ran an even better time at the regional 10 days later. Her senior season will be one to keep an eye on.

HONORABLE MENTION

Mitzi Lopez, So., Southern Nash; Savanna Rocco, Sr., Southern Nash; Miranda Griffin, Jr., Northern Nash; Kelsey Hutchison, So., Northern Nash; Tatum Janke, Fr., Rocky Mount High; Mackenzie Harrell, Jr., SouthWest Edgecombe; Carisha Leonard, Sr., Nash Central; Cassidy Lee, Jr. Nash Central

By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram

Thursday, December 22, 2016

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