Thirteen Scotland County athletes have advanced to the state finals of the 2009 North Carolina Hershey's Track and Field Games, which will be held in Cary on Friday.

Eleven individual qualifiers and one relay team will make the trip from Laurinburg to the Cary Academy next week. Two members of the girls' 13-14 year-old 400-meter relay team also captured individual honors during Friday morning's Hershey's Regional Meet, held at Pate Stadium.

The two most dominant local contestants at Friday's regional came from the boys' side. Zamir White, an already powerfully-built 9-year-old, won first-place ribbons in the 50-meter dash, 100-meter dash and the softball throw.

In the boys' 13-14 year-old division, Scotland County's Justin Brown was three for three with wins in the 100-meter dash, 800-meter run and the softball throw.

Also of the 13-14 boys' group, Jalen McLean took first in the 200-meter dash and was runner-up in the standing long jump.

In the girls' 11-12 year-old group, Scotland County's Fiondra Baldwin was the winner of the standing long jump and softball throw. On the boys' 11-12 side, Yusef Gibson won the 200-meter dash and Cross Holfert captured first place in the softball throw.

In the girls' 13-14 year-old division, Aatinna Williams won the 100-meter dash, Jazzman Williams took first in the softball throw, Fiyonnia Baldwin won the standing long jump and Tytianna McIntyre was runner-up in that event.

McIntyre, Baldwin, Alexsa Cousar and Danazshia Hines won first-place in the 400-meter relay event.

Destiny McDonald won the regional title in the girls' 9-10 year-old 50-meter dash.