It was a banner day for the Avery girls track and field team at the 1A state championships on Saturday at North Carolina A & T University in Greensboro. Four ladies competed in a total of six events and earned a total of 37.33 team points, good enough for fifth place overall behind Winston-Salem Prep (63), West Wilkes (49.33), Bishop McGuinness (39), and Hendersonville (38).Sixteen athletes or relay teams qualified to compete at the state championships in each of the 18 events. Many schools had quite a few athletes qualify, but few had four as productive as Avery’s representatives.
Of the 39 schools placing in at least one event, Avery, a school with only four athletes qualifying in eight possible events, finished fifth in the state, less than 2 points out of 3rd place. Coaches Anne Avery, Darrell Brewer and Stacey Clark could not have asked for a better finish to the season.
In field events, junior Judith Dillashaw saw the fruits of her hard work and sacrifice as she successfully defended her individual state discus championship from a year ago, winning her second title in the event with a throw of 117 feet, nine inches, a distance of a full eight feet greater than second place finisher Michaella Phillips of South Stokes High School. Dillashaw also made the finals in the shot put and finished fifth best overall with a final throw of 31 feet, six inches.
In addition to Dillashaw’s performance, the other members of the squad were impressive in action on Saturday. Senior Ginny Smith finished competed in the girls high jump event, finishing with a final jump of 5’2”, a mark which was equaled by three other competitors. First place was awarded to South Robeson Shaquiela Robinson as she had the fewest scratches at event’s end, with Smith and the other two competitors tying for second place and splitting individual point totals for second through fourth place at the meet.
Field standouts senior Kate Griewisch and freshman Mary Chesnut Smith competed in multiple events at the state meet. Both ladies took part in the 1600 meter run, with Smith capturing fourth place with a time of 5:32.17 and Griewisch sixth with a time of 5:36.00.
Smith competed as the lone Avery representative in the 800 meter run, and finished fourth overall with a time of 2:29.49 in a race that set a new state 1A record time.
The running duo of Griewisch and Smith were scheduled to both compete in the 3200 meters. Smith was unable to participate in the event, however, after having just come off the track from completing the 800 meter event. Griewisch finished the race with a fifth place time overall of 12:32.96.
Saturday’s competition was truly a family affair for the Avery contingent. Among Dillashaw’s supporters was her brother John, an Avery alum and student-athlete at UNC-Wilmington. Ginny Smith’s brother Nathan, another former Avery athlete, was very supportive of his sister. He is currently a Lees-McRae Bobcat athlete. Mary Chesnut Smith and Kate Griewisch were supported by family, friends, and teammates, with additional warmup and coaching from Smith’s brother Nathaniel, a former Avery standout student-athlete who went on to compete at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The two seniors from Saturday’s event are planning to continue their athletic careers at the next level. Ginny Smith will be competing at Mars Hill College, while Kate Griewisch will attend Lenoir-Rhyne College on combined athletic and academic scholarships. Congratulations to the Avery track and field team on another successful campaign.
