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Girls

Sprints & Hurdles

It seems likely that the 100 meter champion will be from Victory Christian, as the top two returners in that event are teammates Courtney Thomas and Mictasha Mickle. Those two are also ranked #1 and #3 in the 200, with the super-versatile Aminah Gaffar (Fayetteville Academy) between them. Gaffar ranks in the top 3 in the 100, 200, and 400, as well as being the top returning athlete in both hurdles races. Abby Adams (St. David's) leads the list in the 400 dash, while Tiffany Martin (Victory Christian) and youngster Izzy Sofio (Davidson Day) are also strong hurdlers.

Distance

Aundrea Holmes (Cary Christian, right) is the top returner by far in the 1600 and 3200, and she is also the 2A state champ in cross country. Eighth-grader Jennifer Stephenson (Village Christian) stormed onto the scene in cross country and could become a contender on the track, as well. Michaela Naibryf (American Hebrew) leads a wide-open field in the 800, and also has strong 1600 and 3200 times.

Field Events

Kaylan Bridges (Victory Christian) is a dominant force in the discus, and she shares the top spot in the shot put rankings with Lundon Harris (First Assembly Christian). Fayetteville Academy's Gaffar is the only returning long jumper to have ever broken 16 feet, and her PR is actually over 17. Teammates Zanetha Allen and Kierra Davis (Victory Christian) have equal returning marks of 32' 7" in the triple jump, putting them in the position of co-favorites. Davis is also the leader of four Victory Christian high jumpers, although that event is wide open for anyone who wants to work their way into state championship contention. Meg Doyle of St. David's is the lone returning vaulter in the database.

Teams to Watch

Clearly, two-time defending champions Victory Christian will be the favorite to make it a three-peat. Once again it seems that St.. David's has the best shot to upset them, but they will have to break into Victory's strength in the field events to do so.

Virtual Meet: Returning Girls

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Boys

Sprints & Hurdles

Jordan Brown (Davidson Day) established himself as a top sprinter during his 9th-grade year, and he is the favorite in the 100 and 200 this spring (and also a strong 400 runner). Claytin Lewis (Word of God Academy) is the closest contender in the 200, and he joins Brown as the only two 400 runners in the class who broke 50 last year. George Freiberger (Westchester Country Day), one of the best athletes in the state regardless of school size, is the clear favorite in both hurdle races.

Distance

Trevor Sleight (Carolina Day) won the 2A cross country state championship in the fall, and he tops the list of returners in both the 1600 and 3200 this spring. Chris Anderson (Westchester) returns at #2 in the 1600 and #3 in the 3200, and he had a very strong winter season, putting up a PR of 9:46 in the 3200 that signals he will be difficult to beat this spring. Eric Lemon (Victory Christian) leads all returners in the 800, an event that seems pretty wide open behind him.

Field Events

Interestingly, there isn't a single thrower who ranks in the top 4 of both throwing events: Emeka Ikezu (Caldwell Academy) is the clear favorite in the shot put, while Jonathan Harris (Victory Christian) has a solid lead on all the returners in the discus. Westchester's Freiberger is the best triple-jumper in the state overall, and he also tops the 1A/2A list in the long jump. Sully Pierce (Asheville Christian) is the only high jumper back who went over 6 feet last year. St. David's has the pole vault under control with four of the top 5 returners, including Forrest Lasher (left), who cleared 13' 11.25" this winter to rank among the state's best from any classification.

Teams to Watch

Defending champions Westchester Country Day, powered by two strong individuals and solid depth, will have another shot at the title this year. They will have their hands full with Victory Christian, who will seek to return to the throne after winning three in a row prior to last year. Lurking in the wings is St. David's, a team that is capable of improving enough to threaten.