NASH CENTRAL'S NORA STROUD -- CLASS 2-A STATE POLE VAULT CHAMPION!

ROCKY MOUNT -- Nora Stroud saved her best for last -- and when it mattered the most -- to close out her pole vault career at Nash Central High School.
Stroud defied expectations by soaring to a height of 9-6 -- her personal best by an entire foot -- to win first place at the Class 2-
A State Track and Field Championships in Greensboro.

SOUTHERN NASH HIGH SCHOOL SPRINTER TRALON MITCHELL (RIGHT)

FRANKLINTON -- Northern Nash's ascent toward the top of the Big East Conference boys standings -- and Rocky Mount's continual stay there on the girls side -- were among the many storylines this spring in the always-competitive league.
NN ended Southern Nash's recent reign in the Big East by taking first place overall at the annual Conference Track and Field Championships, which were held in late-April at the Franklinton High School Football Field.

NORTHERN NASH'S BRYSON JENKINS

NASH COUNTY -- Regular season, league tournament and state playoffs -- in every category, it was a banner spring for high school baseball in Nash County.
Northern Nash rolled through the Big East Conference's regular season slate as the Fighting Knights, coached by Joey Keefe, repeated as the league champions in convincing fashion.

LYNCHBURG, VA. -- Gregory Barrios had a RBI single in the ninth, but the visiting Carolina Mudcats fell a run shy of a late comeback while falling to the Lynchburg Hillcats 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Bank of the James Stadium.
Jheremy Vargas paced the Carolina offense with two hits in the loss.

NASH COUNTY -- The Nash-Halifax Swim League will dive into its 2023 summer schedule next Thursday when Nash Rec hosts defending team champion Westridge at the NRST Pool in Nashville.
The season will run through the annual N-HSL Championships, which are slated for July 29.

STANHOPE -- Talent alone doesn't often translate into an opportunity to play sports on the collegiate level. Other intangibles are usually involved, including hard work, dedication and a commitment to consistently get better.
Those aspects are sometimes difficult to measure, but not in track and field, where times and distances -- and slow but steady betterment of those numbers -- are easy to gauge.

Nash Central's Aaron Brown (left) runs with the back during his leg of the Boys 3200 Relay at the Class 2-A State Track and Field Championships.

Nash Central High School's medalists at the Class 2-A State Track and Field Championships were (back, l to r) Emily Winston and Nora Stroud; (front, l to r) Trevor Rountree, Jaaziah Jones, Aaron Brown and Jeremiah Jones.