By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — A frigid day couldn’t keep the Washington boys track team from turning in another hot performance. The Pam Pack boys have won 19 consecutive regular-season meets.
The last time Washington lost a meet was March 22, 2007, a setback to perennial powerhouse New Bern.
Coach Jon Blank’s squad finished with 83.6 points to win Thursday’s Coastal Conference meet. Washington was followed by Havelock (53.3) and host-school D.H. Conley (18).
The Pack girls finished second with 54.5 points. Havelock pulled away to win the event (81.5 points), while Conley was third (28).
Dakuan Spencer had a big day for the Pack. The junior finished first in the 100-meter hurdles with a regional-qualifying time of 15.29 seconds. Spencer also took first in the triple jump, an event he has qualified to regionals in, and in the 300-meter hurdles. He also placed third in the long jump.
Jarees Griffin captured first in the long jump, tied for first with Anthony Ward in the 100-meter dash and earned a third in the triple jump. He also was a part of the 400-meter relay team, along with Raheam Patterson, Darius Sneed and William Ellegor, that finished first.
With Griffin and Ward matching each other stride-for-stride, along with a Havelock runner, the 100-dash turned into one of the more thrilling events of the day.
Strong man Chase Tripp, who will be playing football at Winston-Salem State University in the fall, took top honors in the shot put and discus.
Melvin Spruill raced to a first-place finish in the 400-meter dash, while also helping the 1,600 relay team take top honors. Spruill was joined on the relay team by Aaron Quinones, Patterson and Raphael Gibbs.
Second-place performances were turned in by Amiar Johnson (shot put), Forrest Latham (discus), Ellegor (200) and Dylan Mizelle (3,200). Mizelle also took fourth in the 1,600.
The Lady Pack had several outstanding performances. Sharita Grice continued her excellent showing in the weight events, placing first in both the shot and discus.
Akida Spencer wracked up some points by placing second in the 100, second in the 200, third in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump.
Taking second for the Lady Pack were Staneshia Griffin (triple jump), TeAmber Burke (shot put) and Vantasia Palmer (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles).
Alexus Spencer (100 hurdles) and Casey Lewis (3,200) earned third-place finishes.
The Washington track team returns to action Tuesday at North Pitt, before venturing to New Bern on Thursday.