Coming off a strong performance in the PAC-6 Conference meet last week, East Chapel Hill heads into this weekend’s NCHSAA track & field regionals as with several athletes favored to qualify for the state championships. East Chapel Hill, paced by three first places by Sam Miner and double wins by Jon Beyle and Will Buckley, won the PAC-6 boys’ meet by a convincing margin over host Riverside, with 148 points to the Pirates’ 109.

“The conference meet simulates the regional in a lot of ways,” Beyle said. “I expect to see some of these guys again in regionals and, hopefully, in states.”

Miner won the 800 (in 1:58.89), 1,600 (4:27.03) and 3,200 (10:09.89) in an impressive display. Beyle hit 168 feet, 1 inch to win the discus and won the shot put with a mark of 52-6. Buckley ruled the sprints, winning the 100 (11.17 seconds) and 200 (22.29). Justen Best, a standout basketball player for East last winter, won the PAC-6 high jump title with a leap of 6-2.

On the girls side, Pegah Kamrani will lead the Wildcats into this Saturday’s NCHSAA Mid-east Regional at Green Hope High School in Cary after wins in the 1,600 (5:31.59) and 3,200 meters (11:40.62) at the PAC-6 meet. Teammate Maggie Meshnick won the 800 (2:32.68), while Sarah Fulcher won the shot put (38-11).

Chapel Hill, which swept the boys’ and girls’ championships last week at Cardinal Gibbons High School, will head down to Fayeteville’s Reid Ross Classical School for the NCHSAA 3A Mideast regonal meet on Saturday. Gibbons and Orange also will send a contingent to Fayetteville.

Chapel Hill athetes expectred to do well in Fayetteville include Carolina-6 champions Hannah Blackburn (100 and 300 hurdles and the triple jump), Anne Connolly (high jump), Alexa Young (girls’ 800), Chris Reeder (biys’ 800, nd 1,600) Deepu Singh (400) Mitch McLeod (3,200).

The 2A regionals were last weekend. Running at Eastern Alamance High School in the 2-A Mideast, Carrboro won the girls meet, edging runner-up Burlington Cummings, 94-86. In the boys’ meet, Cummings barely beat Cedar Ridge for the title, 103-100, while Carrboro finished third with 83 points.

Grace Morken again led the Carrboro girls, winning the 800 and 1,600 meters and helping in the winning 4x400 relay. Alexa Phillips and Frankie Perone also ran on the winning 4x400 and 4x800 relays.

Michael Jushchuk paced Carrboro’s boys with three wins (800, 4x400, 4x800), while teammate Scott Peretin won two individual event (shot put, discus).

The NCHSAA 2A state championship meet will be Saturday at N.C. A&T State’s Belk Track in Greensboro, beginning at 10 a.m. with the field events; running events begin at 11 a.m. with the 4x800 relays.

A complete list of 2A qualifiers for the state meet can be found online at chapelhillnews.com/sports.