GATESVILLE – Gates County High School is within five points of the lead for the Wachovia Conference Cup in the Tar-Roanoke Conference.

The Red Barons athletic program has secured 295 points through the fall and winter sports and trail North Edgecombe who has 300 points.

“I am very pleased to be in the running for the Wachovia Cup,” Gates County Athletic Director Lulu Eure said. “From what I’ve read from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) website, the boy’s finishing third in basketball was a big help.”

The Red Barons are 80 points ahead of third-place KIPP Pride going into the spring and lead fourth-place Northampton County High School – East by exactly 100 points. Rounding out the Tar-Roanoke Conference standings are Southeast Halifax (180), Northampton County High School – West (170) and Weldon (165).

Eure said while she has great hopes for the spring, her major concern is the lack of a track team at Gates.

“My hopes for the rest of the season are to win the conference in baseball and softball and also in boy’s tennis, but that’s only three teams so I am not sure about how the points system will work out,” she said. “Most of the teams have track and field and we do not and that could be the difference.”

Two other local high schools are further back in their race for the Wachovia Cup in their conference.

Hertford County High School currently sits sixth in the Northeastern Coastal Conference race while Bertie High School is seventh.

Northeastern and First Flight are tied atop the league race with 60 points each.

First Flight was in first, but Northeastern finished second in men and women’s swimming and men and women’s basketball to forge the tie.

Currituck is next at 44 followed by Edenton and Pasquotank with 37 points each. Hertford County has 30 and Bertie is last with 22.

The Wachovia Cup is sponsored by Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo Company, and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. The program recognizes high schools that achieve the best overall interscholastic athletic performance within each of the state’s four competitive classifications.

The Wachovia Conference Cup is a companion to that Wachovia Cup and is awarded to schools with the best overall interscholastic athletic performance in each individual conference.