The Watauga High men's and women's track teams litterly blew the field away at the Northwestern 3A/4A Conference Championships at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory on Wednesday afternoon. The WHS women won eight events and

bested the field with 200 points; the men won eight events and bested the field with 173.50 points.
Reid Harris led the men's team as he won two events. Harris won the 100-meter dash in 11.47 seconds. He also won the pole vault and set a new school record for a third time this season. He cleared the bar with an effort of 15-feet-one inch. The Pioneers also won the 4x800-meter relay (8:35.07) and the 4x400 relay (3:30.76). Andrew Vandenberg won the 3,200-meter run in 10:19.21; Josh Anderson won the 1,600 in 4:47.85; Stephen Schmal won the 400 (51.49) and Bryan Brackney (2:01.91).
Hickory finished second with 157 points. Fred T. Foard was a distant third with 89 points. The WHS men also had 31 top-ten finishes.
The WHS women were paced by Taylor Drummonds and Darby Middlebrook, who won five events between them. Drummonds won the pole vault with a personal-best effort of ten-feet-two-inches; and she also swept the hurdle events. Drummonds won the 300-meter hurdles in 48.94 and the 100 low hurdles in 15.79. Middlebrook, who won the state indoor championship in the 1,600 in February, won the 1,600 on Wednesday in 5:07.64; she also captured the 3,200-meter title in 11:44.84.
Julia Robers won the 400 in 1:00.24; Hailey Middlebrook won the 800 in 2:23.31; and WHS also won the 4x400 relay in 4:08.60. The 4x800-relay team was bested by Fred T. Foard. The Tigers won the race in 10:23.39; WHS finished second, 13 seconds off the pace (10:36.17). The WHS women also had 37 top-ten finishes. Hickory finished a distant second with 133 points.
WHS will host the Class 4A Western Regional at Jack Groce Stadium on Saturday, May 12.