--
The NCHSAA 4A East Regional and NCHSAA 4A State Championships will have a void in the center of the track in the hurdles, relays, and sprints this weekend. NCHSAA 4A indoor 55m Hurdle and 300m Dash state champion, as well defending outdoor 300m Hurdle state champion Sierra Fletcher (Southeast Raleigh) has been in a boot all season.
The first absence of Fletcher came at New Balance Indoor Nationals where she was an All-American contender in the 60m Hurdles and 200m Dash. But Fletcher would not be able to run her event.
The day of the 60m Dash prelims Fletcher was warming up for her event. On her final warm-up rep, she was going over hurdles. Coming off the last hurdle Fletcher collided into the back of a coach from another team who walked in front of her.
Fletcher would roll and break her ankle certainly ending her All-American chances and putting the rest of her high school career into question. Fletcher was lucky to walk away with no tissue or ligament damage, but was held off of running and was in a boot until the end of April.
They were hopeful at a point she could be ready for the postseason, but Fletcher just started doing some running last week and would have no time to get a regional mark as she wasn't 100% yet.
It's a sad end to this superstars high school career who has been at the top of the state's hurdle ranks throughout her high school career. She'll end with PRs of 7.95 in the 55m Hurdles, 13.79 for the 100m Hurdles, 41.87 for the 300m Hurdles and 1:00.62 for the 400m Hurdles.
We'll never know where Fletcher would have ended up on the North Carolina All-Time list with what was shaping up to be her best year on the track yet.
Fletcher will attend the University of Ohio State next fall where she'll be fired up to make up for some missed time at the end of her high school career.
Fletcher will continue to get back to 100% and is hopeful to run on Southeast Raleigh's relays at New Balance Indoor Nationals in mid-June. Depending on how her training goes she'll determine if she'll race during the summer at all, or just prep for her college career.
