The action always heats up on Day 2 at New Balance Nationals, and North Carolina responded with a series of strong performances Saturday.

More New Balance Nationals Outdoor Coverage

• Results
• Photo Albums:
  • Lisa McArthur
  • Jeff Sides
  • Jentzen Jones
  • Jeff George
• Interviews
• Visitor's Guide (schedule, directions, parking info, and more)
• North Carolina Coverage
• National Team Coverage (All-Americans Wanted, Preview Articles, more)

Day 2 Highlights

• All week, Ryen Frazier has maintained that she isn't sure if she will run all three races this week, and it's not hard to understand why. After winning the 5000 on Friday night, Frazier took command of Saturday's Two Mile from the beginning and ran away from the field for a 10:07.16 win. She wasn't challenged at any point, except by her own determination, and when you combine the lack of competition with the high heat you don't exactly have the ideal conditions for breaking all-time state records. At this point, Frazier has won national championships in every outdoor event (she won the mile last year), has earned a total of 4 titles in her career, and has broken 6 All-Time NC records! Although I hope she decides to run one more race before moving on to college, I certainly can't blame her if she decides that she's satisfied.

• What more can Anna Cockrell do? She ran 13.32 in the 100 Hurdles, defeating the defending champion (Alexis Duncan TX) in the process, but she still finished 3rd due to stunning breakout performances by two athletes. Still, she's an All-American, and she has another race Sunday in the 400 Hurdles. Gabriele Cunningham finished 7th in the race, capping a strong day on her part.
• Wakefield's girls ran 1:00.19 US #3 to finish 3rd in the Championship Girls Shuttle Hurdle Relay.
• In the day's opening event, the Championship Girls 4x200, Southeast Raleigh ran 1:40.27 NC #4 to finish 5th and take home All-American crowns. Terry Sanford's boys matched that finish, running 1:27.23 NC #2.
• The Championship Girls Pole Vault was interrupted multiple times by rain delays Saturday, forcing the athletes to maintain their focus (and their warm-ups) for much longer than they planned. Despite the delays, though, Anna Eaton was able to perform very well: she cleared 13' 3.5" to finish in a tie for 5th place and earn All-American status.
• Gabrielle Cunningham ran a wind-aided 11.61 NC #3 while finishing 6th in the Championship Girls 100 Dash, making her an All-American. A few minutes later she was joined by her Mallard Creek teammate, Cravont Charleston, as he finished 4th in the Championship Boys 100 Dash with his time of 10.54.
• Sara Platek continued to run well in her return from an injury layoff that cost her the whole spring season, as she ran 10:30.12 NC #2 NC #6 All-Time. Her 6th-place finish earned her All-American status, as well. Caroline Yarbrough just missed the podium. ending up 7th in 10:32.12.
• Despite having four strong competitors in the Championship Girls Triple Jump, North Carolina was unable to come away with a top-6 finish. Elyse King (TC Roberson) ended up 7th with a season-best jump of 39' 3" NC #4 (though it was wind-aided), and Nicole Lawson (Hopewell) finished 8th at 39' 2" NC #5.
• There was also disappointment in the final running event of the night. Cary's girls were working on something special in the 4x800, leading after the final exchange, when misfortune struck. Anchor Sarah Hoffert, tucked into the lead pack, made incidental contact with the runner in front of her during an accordion-effect change of speed, and in trying to keep her balance she stepped on the rail and fell. She got right back up and finished, giving Cary a 9:15.29 that was still almost a season best for the Imps, but the bad luck dropped them out of the top 6.
• Magnus Herweyer (Carrboro) won the Emerging Elite Boys Shot Put, throwing 56' 8.5" NC #6. Tyson Fortenberry (Ashbrook) finished 4th in the same event with a mark of 55' 6.75" NC #7.
• Joya Blackwell (Hertford) cleared 5' 5.75" to win the Emerging Elite Girls High Jump.
• South Mecklenburg's Haywood Ferguson ran 4:26.41 in the Freshman Boys Mile, finishing 3rd and moving into 25th place in the nation among freshmen this season.