Can Bunn's Marissa Bellamy survive the gauntlet of sprint talent in the 2A classification to win multiple titles again?
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Girls
Sprints & Hurdles
To borrow a phrase from my friend (and favorite JDL Fast Track announcer) Ed Teasley, the 2A girls sprints are "hot like fire!" Paisley Simmons (T. W. Andrews, above) returns as the leader in the 100 dash, but what is amazing is that her 200 time of 24.37 only ranks her third in this classification (and in fact, third in her region). Marissa Bellamy (Bunn, above) holds down the #1 spot in both the 200 and the 400, and she is the only girl from North Carolina to break the 24-second barrier last spring. Imagine what her battles with Briana Haith (Granville Central) 
Distance
Last year, Carrboro scored enough in the distances to win the team title, led by Grace Morken (right) and her double win in the 1600 and 800. She is the top returner in both of those events, and freshmen Maysa Araba and Helen Morken join Franie Perone (#3 in the 1600) and Alexa Phillips (#3 in the 800) in support of a repeat championship. Rebecca Elliot (Polk County) is ranked second in the 800, while Hana Ratcliffe (Durham School of the Arts) holds the #2 spot in the 1600. Grace Turner (Lincolnton) had a breakthrough finish to her cross country season; she is already the top returner in the 3200, but watch for her to make a splash in the 1600 this spring, as well. Allie Castro (North Lincoln) lit up the track this winter, leading all 2A runners in the 1000, 1600, and 3200, and she is already light years ahead of where she was last spring. With all of that talent in the 2A races, it would be easy to overlook one of the most consistent runners in the classification, but Laney Browder (Wilkes Central) has a history of rising to challenges.
Field Events
Kinston might have the top two shot putters going into the season, with Tisha Dixon the only 2A returner over 36 feet last spring, and Cetera Speights going over 35 feet this winter to lead all 2A throwers so far this year. The discus, however, looks wide open, as returning leader Megan Hardy (Bandys) has three rivals within one foot of her best mark. The top returner in the triple jump is clear, though, as Cummings' Evans (left) went 39' 9" last spring. Teammate Faucette has been over 38 feet this winter, giving Cummings a 1-2 punch that seems all too familiar to their past foes. Teshlyn Smith (South Granville) is the only other returning jumper over 36 feet. Granville Central's Haith is the leading returner in the long jump, but returning #2 Raven Covington (Cuthbertson) had a strong winter, as did Chelsea Darden (Beddingfield). Darden is also a threat in the high jump, although Emily Kimble (Owen) and Hunter Welborn (Starmount) have both been over 5' 6". Just like with the discus, there is a wide-open field in the vault; Raven Stanley (Surry Central) holds the #1 returning mark at 10 feet, but Swansboro's Lindsey Bren and Korie Bennett both equaled that height during the winter season.
Teams to Watch
This may not come as a shock to those who have followed this classification, but it looks like the battle will come down to Cummings vs. Carrboro. Both teams have improved from last year, so give the edge to the defending champs (for now). Depth may be the biggest factor for both teams, and Carrboro has a ton of it (they won the 4x800 last year without Grace Morken). If any team could challenge these two, it would be T. W. Andrews, on the strength of their two stars, Simmons and McKiver.
Virtual Meet: Returning Girls
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Boys
Sprints & Hurdles
Berry Academy's move to the 3A classification changes the landscape of the 2A sprints, but one name hasn't changed: Tevin Hester (Granville Central) aseerted himself as the best sprinter in the state this winter, as well as inserting his name into the national top 5 in the 60 dash. Expect him to continue that succes to the 100, and also to drop his 200 time significantly. Todd Gurley II (Tarboro) gained international experience by qualifying for the World Youth Games last summer, and he is a contender in both the 100 and the 100 hurdles. Isaiah Moore (Cummings, formerly Williams) was right behind Gurley on time in the high hurdles last year, while his teammate Thomas Jones II leads the list of returners in the 300 hurdles (and Jones is no slouch in the 110, either). With Brandon Purvis and Terrance Alford also being skilled hurdlers, Cummings has the makings of a great shuttle hurdle squad! James Drummond (Lexington) leads all returners in the 400, and he also added the short sprints to his repertoire this winter; Antonio Henderson (St. Paul's) ranks #2 in the 400 from last spring, but he beat Drummond narrowly for the indoor 300 title.
Distance
A. J. Tucker (Cedar Ridge) looks like the class of the field, as he tops the returning lists in both the 1600 and the 3200, and he won the 2A state title in cross country. Denzel Jefferson (St. Paul's) is ranked second in both of those events, while Michael Juschuk (Carrboro) is the only returning runner who broke 2:00 in the 800 last spring. Based on indoor results, keep an eye on Walter Bulger (Northside), and watch out for North Lincoln's boys, who could score in bunches as a group and might have the makings of a great 4x800 relay.
Field Events
Ethan Smith (Cedar Ridge, left) cleared 14' 9.25" this winter to establish himself as the clear favorite in the pole vault, with Patrick Brunner (Providence Grove) the only other returner who has been higher than 13 feet. The 2A boys high jump could be one of the most competitive events in any classification, as there are five returners who have all jumped 6' 6" (including William Brown of Salisbury, the only one of the five who has already cleared that height this school year). Maurice Eddy (Jordan-Matthews) returns with the top mark in the long jump, but Cummings' Moore has jumped over 22' this winter, which would make him the #1 gun going into the season. Xavier Hoggs (Durham School of the Arts) and Christian Hurt (Starmount) rank first and second for returning athletes in the triple jump. The 2A classification has a load of strong throwers, led by Adam Manns (Draughn), who tops the list in both the shot and the discus. Jacksonville Northside sports two strong throwers in James Rowland (#2 in shot, #3 in discus) and Victor Campbell (#2 in discus), while Isaiah Brown (Farmville Central) threw the shot farther this winter than any of those guys did last spring.
Teams to Watch
Cummings seems to be the early favorite for the team title, especially when you consider that Isaiah Moore (who ran for 3A Burlington Williams last year) isn't even included in the virtual meet (and Cummings still wins). There could be a very interesting battle among the next four teams: Cedar Ridge, St. Paul's, Northside, and Carrboro are all very close on paper. With over two months left for the athletes to develop, this is a race that bears watching.
Virtual Meet: Returning Boys
(Subscribers only, using 2011 performances in the MileSplit database)
Support NCRunners' coverage, and get 24-7 access to both the state and national databases!
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Can Bunn's Marissa Bellamy survive the gauntlet of sprint talent in the 2A classification to win multiple titles again?