This could be the year for Whale Branch. It's not like it's been a long wait, though.

In only its second year of existence, Whale Branch has to be considered one of the favorites to take home the Class 1-A boys championship at this weekend's S.C. Track and Field State Championships at Spring Valley High School in Columbia.

The Warriors finished sixth last year in their first state meet. The return of the core of that team, coupled with the addition of senior sprinter Andre Watson, has the Warriors' coaches thinking title.

"Probably top three sprinter in the state," Whale Branch athletic director and track assistant Carlos Cave said of Watson. "He's the fastest in the 200 (meters) in South Carolina. At one point this season, he had the fastest time in the 100. He anchors our 4x100. He's a strong sprinter and a strong athlete."

Don't try to get Cave to say Watson is the difference this year, though. The Warriors are strong all around, qualifying in 11 of the 17 events.

"Our 4x800 (relay) is strong," Cave said. "Charles Jiles, he's outstanding in the 800."

Jiles is qualified individually, as well, in the 800 meters and the 1,600 meters. And Deonta Glover, a sophomore, is qualified in the 1,600 and 3,200 -- events he placed fifth in last year.

"He knows what it's about," Cave said of Glover. "We expect him to be no worse than third in the events he's entered in."

Cave believes the Warriors are more mentally prepared for the pressure of the state championships than some of their opponents.

"The one plus that we have is that we run in a lot of big boy meets with the big boy teams," Cave said. "We don't run in the little boy meets."

While Whale Branch has it's eyes on championships, both individual and team, several other area athletes hope to bring home gold, as well.

Among them:

Ridgeland's Alvin Brown is defending his 1-A boys discus crown. He's also qualified in the shot put.

The Hardeeville girls 4x100 team of Tydasha Rivers, Aaliyah Hill, Ravon Grant and Raven Grant will run for the Class 1-A title after finishing second last year.

The Hilton Head Island High School boys are the defending state champions in Class 3-A, and behind the strength of their distance runners -- including state cross country champion Jack Manesiotis -- should put up a good point total again this year.

Hilton Head Island High's Faith Lifer is qualified in the girls 1,600 meters, an event she finished sixth in last year.

And Beaufort High's Madeline Aune is looking to do something special in the Class 4-A girls pole vault -- break the state record of 12 feet, 8 inches.

"I'm hoping that she can get 12-10 or 13 feet," Beaufort coach Herbert Glaze said. "She's pretty excited. Last week, she had 12-6. She could have went higher but she decided to wait.

"She works hard every day, and good work, hard work pays off. And I think it will pay off this weekend."

2012 S.C. TRACK & FIELD STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Today-Saturday, Spring Valley High School, Columbia

Events begin at 5:45 tonight, 9 a.m. Saturday and run all day

Admission: $5 tonight, $8 Saturday

TV: The event will stream live at www.SCHSL.tv and be available on demand later in the week for Time Warner Cable subscribers

Event schedule: http://schsl.org/2011%20forms/trschedule.pdf

BOYS

4-A

110 Hurdles

Henry Jenkins, Beaufort

Devonte Green, Beaufort

Randy Thomas, Beaufort

400 Hurdles

Henry Jenkins, Beaufort

4x400 Relay

Beaufort (Darren Chaplin, Joshua Skanes, Desmond Howard, Randy Thomas)

4x800 Relay

Beaufort (Joshua Skanes, Desmond Howard, Seth Andrews, Terae Davis)

Long jump

Martin Washington, Beaufort

Triple jump

Parrish Holmes, Beaufort

High jump

Martin Washington, Beaufort

Discus

DeEndre Jefferson-Fields, Beaufort

3-A

200

Desmond Bonaparte, Hilton Head Island

400

Desmond Bonaparte, Hilton Head Island

800

Demetrius Smalls, Bluffton

Matthew Alex Couch, Hilton Head Island

1,600

Jack Manesiotis, Hilton Head Island

3,200

Jack Manesiotis, Hilton Head Island

Sean McMahon, Hilton Head Island

4x400 Relay

Hilton Head Island (Matthew Alex Couch, Desmond Bonaparte, Robbie Iulo, Michael Julian)

Bluffton (Muhammad Abdul Malik, Michael Spence, Demetrius Smalls, DeVaughn Frazier)

4x800 Relay

Hilton Head Island (Jack Manesiotis, Matthew Alex Couch, Sean McMahon, Robbie Iulo)

Long jump

Michael Julian, Hilton Head Island

Triple jump

Justice Oliver, Battery Creek

DeVaughn Frazier, Bluffton

Shot put

Shakil Gause, Battery Creek

Discus

Shakil Gause, Battery Creek

1-A

100

Andre Watson, Whale Branch

200

Andre Watson, Whale Branch

800

Charles Jiles, Whale Branch

1,600

Charles Jiles, Whale Branch

Devonta Glover, Whale Branch

3,200

Devonta Glover, Whale Branch

Nicholas Reid, Ridgeland

110 Hurdles

Antione Johnson, Ridgeland

Xavier Capers, Ridgeland

400 Hurdles

Devonte Delaney, Whale Branch

Antione Johnson, Ridgeland

4x100 Relay

Whale Branch (John Little, Joshua Fields, Michael Smalls, Andre Watson)

4x400 Relay

Ridgeland (Immanual White, Israel Allen, Danzell Mitchell, Desjon Frazier)

Whale Branch (Andrew Byam, Devonte Delaney, Andre Watson, Charles Jiles)

4x800 Relay

Whale Branch (Vishawn Burrage, Brandon Morton, Devntae Lykes, Charles Jiles)

Ridgeland (Danzell Mitchell, Donald Jenkins, Marquis McClennon, Nicholas Reid)

Triple jump

Saydrian Williams, Ridgeland

Devonte Alston, Whale Branch

High jump

Jacob Feruson, Ridgeland

Devonte Alston, Whale Branch

Shot put

Wesley Scott, Ridgeland

Alvin Brown, Ridgeland

Discus

Alvin Brown, Ridgeland

GIRLS

4-A

100

Stephanie Taylor-Pollock, Beaufort

100 Hurdles

Alexia Neal, Beaufort

400 Hurdles

Alexia Neal, Beaufort

4x100 Relay

Beaufort (Stephanie Taylor-Pollock, Veneshia Holmes, Tiffany Robinson, Latoya Smalls)

4x400 Relay

Beaufort (Aaliyah Smalls, Latoya Smalls, Stephanie Taylor-Pollock, Veneshia Holmes)

High jump

Alexia Neal, Beaufort

Pole Vault

Madeline Aune, Beaufort

3-A

800

Rachel Friend, Hilton Head Island

1,600

Faith Lifer, Hilton Head Island

3,200

Savannah Schepp, Hilton Head Island

100 Hurdles

Gretchen Brown, Battery Creek

400 Hurdles

Johnnie Gaston, Bluffton

4x100 Relay

Battery Creek (Gretchen Brown, Daisja Cannon, La'Schirrae Morral, Quamecha Morrison)

4x800 Relay

Hilton Head Island (Faith Lifer, Christina Mason, Abi Short, Keyuntay Heyward)

Long jump

Gretchen Brown, Battery Creek

Triple jump

Gretchen Brown, Battery Creek

High jump

Quamecha Morrison, Batttery Creek

1-A

100

Tydasha Rivers, Hardeeville

3,200

Breandrea Washington, Ridgeland

400 Hurdles

Rayshaundra Rankins, Ridgeland

4x100 Relay

Hardeeville (Tydasha Rivers, Aaliyah Hill, Ravon Grant, Raven Grant)

Long jump

Aaliyha Hill, Hardeeville

Triple jump

Aaliyha Hill, Hardeeville

High jump

Aaliyha Hill, Hardeeville