(With links to results and photo albums)
4A Boys Recap
At the one-mile mark, Mason Boyles (Ashley) and Peter Vandenberg (Watauga) were at the head of a large lead group.
Mark Blackmon (West Charlotte), Craig Engels (Reagan), and Sam Roberson (Broughton) formed the second row of the phalanx.
Bakri Abushouk (Cary), Jordan Marsh (Reagan), and Jacob Sears (Panther Creek) were on the back of the first pack.
After the second mile, though, the group had thinned out measurably.
Blackmon and Roberson were a two-man lead group, and they had pulled away significantly.
Engels was a distance back in third, with Abushouk and Sears fairly close on his heels, and George Oliver (Mount Tabor) closing on them.
Over the last mile, Roberson began to struggle and Blackmon pulled away strongly to win by 12 seconds.
Sears closed very well and even got past Engels for second place, with the Raider finishing third.
Oliver got all the way up to fourth, a fantastic race for him, while Abushouk rounded out the top 5.
4A All-State Boys Team
Team Runners-Up: Mount Tabor
Team Champions: Broughton
4A Girls Recap
The fastest girls' race of the day and the most competitive of all the races, this one featured a huge lead pack.
Rebekah Greengrass (Panther Creek) had set the early pace, with eight girls joining her in the first group at the mile mark.
Defending champion Darby Middlebrook (Watauga) was also in front, with Sydney Foreman (Ardrey Kell) and Sammy George (Millbrook) tucked behind.
Anna McBride (Davie) was tagging along at the back of this group, along with Maura McDonnell and Erica Amatori of Green Hope.
Katilin Kramer (Ardrey Kell) and Shelby Howell (New Hanover) were on the back end of the lead pack, while Brooke Gordon (TCR) trailed slightly.
Nearing the midpoint, Middlebrook had George on one shoulder, Greengrass on the other, and Amatori right behind.
McDonnell, Foreman, and McBride were still attached to the group, while Kramer and Howell had fallen back just a bit.
At two miles, George had taken the lead with Middlebrook close behind her.
Those two had separated somewhat, with Greengrass in third and McBride, McDowell, and Foreman close together.
George was able to pull away from Middlebrook over the last mile, closing in an astounding 17:31 PR.
That was a course record, and was especially amazing given that the course had run 20-30 seconds slow all day.
Middlebrook was a strong second, while McBride, while third, actually closed on her a bit with that patented kick.
McDonnell outkicked Foreman and Greengrass in one of the best three-way battles of the day.
4A All-State Girls Team
Team Runners-Up: Ardrey Kell
Team Champions: Green Hope
(With links to results and photo albums)
4A Boys Recap