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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

Cooper Williams didn’t set the world on fire like he did April 10 when he broke the state’s junior class record with a shot put toss of 63 feet, two inches – but he didn’t need to.

Williams heaved the shot 56 feet and won the Central Piedmont Conference title with plenty of room to spare. The runner-up’s throw was 48-8.5.

The CPC championship meet was held April 30. The top two in each event earned all-conference status. Williams made it in two events, finishing second in the discus at 159-7. The winner from Mt. Tabor went 164-8.

“(56 feet) is a rather average throw for him,” coach Rob Raisbeck said. “But he’s so much better than everybody else in the conference that on his worst day he is still going to win, at least conference-wise.”

On the girls’ side, Davie has seen a meteoric rise from senior Sophia Brady. Last year her personal record in the discus was 93-9. In the 2024 opener, she threw it 95-5, and “she has thrown better than (93-9) in every meet this season,” Raisbeck said.

With the CPC title on the line, Brady turned up her game even more, throwing a 111 to hold off a 109-3 from a competitor from Mt. Tabor and join Williams as a gold medalist.

“Sophia was one of the two favorites,” Raisbeck said. “She’s had a good season. She’s been pretty consistent, but she had a real nice throw – a PR by seven feet, which is a pretty big deal. She came into the meet with a best of 104. She’s been pretty dedicated at her craft. She does not throw the shot at all. But she’s got the wingspan and she’s agile, so the discus is her event. She has worked really hard year-round, and she put it together (in the CPC championships).”

Senior Thomas Essic competed in the 3200 (two miles). After going 5:10 over the first mile, he churned out a 4:47 in the second half of the race. It wasn’t enough to take first, but it was still a fruitful effort as he took the silver medal.

Essic’s time of 9:57 was one second from his PR. The winner turned in 9:53.

“With about 800 meters to go, Thomas tried to come back on (the eventual winner),” Raisbeck said. “He blew away a Mt. Tabor kid, but he didn’t get close enough (to the leader).”

There were other notable performances.

Cayden Glass was third in the triple jump. Ethan Lakey (4:32 in the 1600), Tyler Hill (2:05 in the 800), CJ Phelps (5-11 in the high jump) and Austin Sweet (pole vault) all finished fourth for the Davie boys.

For the Davie girls, Clara Phelps was third in the pole vault at 9-1, and Alyssa Marion was fourth in the high jump at 4-11.

Notes: The Davie boys finished fourth out of eight. The team points: Mt. Tabor 196.5, Reagan 174, Parkland 92, Davie 78, West Forsyth 71, Reynolds 40.5, East Forsyth 33, Glenn 7. … The Davie girls were sixth. The standings: Tabor 188, Reagan 139, Parkland 134, West Forsyth 105.5, Reynolds 50, Davie 46.5, East Forsyth 7, Glenn 1. … Davie had 10 entries in the Midwest Regional on May 11. Williams qualified in the shot put and discus, and Sweet was a double qualifier as an individual in the 110 hurdles and pole vault. The War Eagles who competed in one event were Brady (discus), Marion (high jump), America Stockton (high jump), Essic (1600), Lakey (1600) and the boys 3200 relay team (Essic, Lakey, Brayden Kistner and Hill).