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Sprints/Hurdles

Aminah Ghaffar (Fayetteville Academy) had a fantastic winter season, running 8.43 for 55 Hurdles and 1:20.99 in the 500. She is clearly on track to defend her state titles in the 100 and 300 Hurdles, although she has not yet ventured into the field events this year (she also won the long jump and finished 2nd in the high jump). Mictasha Mickle (Victory Christian) will try to step into the shoes of graduated teammate Courtney Thomas, as she is the top returner in the 100, 200, and 400. Vanda McNeill (First Assembly Christian) will be her chief competitor in the short sprints, while Victory Christian's own Tyreon Gaddis stands in the way in the 400. Tiffany Martin, also from Victory Christian, is the #2 returning athlete in the hurdle races.

Distance

Abby Adams (St. David's) had some solid races during the winter, and seems to be ahead of pace in defending her 800 title. Katrina Pibl (Grace Christian, Raleigh) is the closest returner in both the 800 and the 1600, where she trails only Savannah Merritt (O'Neal School). Merritt also has the top 3200 time entering the season, though Caroline Stogner (Cary Christian) is close behind. Melissa Zammitti (Davidson Day) had a strong cross country season, and she could be in the mix for the 1600 or 3200 this spring.

Field Events

Victory Christian appears to have the long jump and triple jump on lockdown, as Gaddis and Kiera Davis sit on top of the returning rankings in both events. Kayla Watson (Westchester Country Day) is the only high jumper back from last spring with a 5' jump. Watch out for Ghaffar in both the long jump and the high jump if she chooses to pursue them, and she is also a quality shot-putter at this level. Julie Thompson (Cary Christian) is back to defend her state title in the shot put, while Victory Christian's Kaylan Bridges tops the list in the discus. There are very few vaulters in this classification, and that could be a huge opening to exploit for any school with the equipment and a few athletes willing to try.

Girls NCISAA 1A/2A Indoor 2013 Rankings

Girls NCISAA 1A/2A Returning Rankings from Outdoor 2012

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Sprints/Hurdles

Jordan Brown (Davidson Day) is a runaway favorite in the 100 and 200; if he chooses to run the 400, he will have to get past top returner Jeff Green (Westchester Country Day). Ross Marnock (Carolina Day) is also a contender in the sprints, although he has some work to do to catch Brown. Gabriel Bryson (Asheville Christian) and Ian Salman (Gaston Day) are closely-matched in the 110 Hurdles, while Aaron Seward (Davidson Day) is the heavy favorite in the 300 Hurdles.

Distance

Trevor Sleight (Carolina Day) is the prohibitive favorite in the 3200, in which his PR is 40 seconds ahead of the next-fastest returner. Sleight is also likely to win the 1600, although Sully Pierce (Asheville Christian) is within striking range in that event. Pierce is also a contender in the 800, where teammate Josh Thornburg is the top returner. You have to think Thornburg can put up a solid 1600, as well, and he holds the #2 spot in the returning 3200 rankings. Keep an eye on Connor Jones (Wayne Christian), the 1A state champ in cross country, whose fall season signalled solid improvement over last year.

Field Events

Samuel Sims (Victory Christian) is the only returning long jumper that has crossed the 20-foot barrier (although it would be neat to see Brown try his hand at this event). The triple jump appears to be wide open, with Mike Bauman (Westchester Country Day) the only guy back with a 40-foot jump on his profile. Pierce is the best high jumper coming into the season, having cleared 5' 2" last year; teammate (and brother?) Colter Pierce leads the rankings in the pole vault. Ricky Smith (Davidson Day) is arguably the most dominant athlete in any single event in this classification, with the possible exception of Sleight, as his shot put PR is a full 6 feet farther than any other returning athlete. The discus appears to be closer, though Smith still leads that list; James Branch (Northside Christian), Samuel Peterkin (First Assembly Christian), and Jonathan Harris (Victory Christian) are all legitimate contenders.