Taking a Young Tradition to a New Level: Elite Tune-Up Preview

Last year, the girls' 800 produced 3 of the top 10 times in state history, including what was then #2 all-time. The two previous years, the boys' 800 produced sub-1:50 times, which are currently 1st and 3rd all-time. Can both races deliver epic performances this time around?

Since 2009, Robert Youtz has organized and directed what has become the state's premier post-season tune-up meet, and he rightly earned a reputation for putting together extremely strong mid-distance races. NCRunners joined forces with Coach Youtz in 2012, and over the last 3 years the meet has also become known for outstanding sprints and hurdles performances. This year, the meet has a new location (Marvin Ridge) and a new twist to the its original focus events: the 800 and the Mile will be the inaugural Border Clash races, pitting North Carolina runners against their South Carolina counterparts in a battle for bragging rights. We hope to expand this concept to include teams from Tennessee and Georgia in the future, and also to include more events in the state vs. state scoring.

This year's edition of the Elite Tune-Up is dotted with national-caliber athletes, and not just in the mid-distances. Top-flight hurdlers, jumpers, sprinters, and throwers will compete in the evening Saturday, either looking to stay sharp for further competition or to close out the 2015 season with a strong performance. As always, the meet looks poised to produce several changes to the North Carolina All-Time Rankings, and could impact the current national rankings, as well. Check out detailed previews of the Border Clash races below, as well as some of the other likely highlights from the meet.

More Elite Tune-Up Coverage

• Meet Page (schedule, results from prior years)
• Meet Program (version 2)
• Border Clash Entries

Border Clash 800

The girls' 800 is absolutely loaded, especially when you consider the interesting addition of two unexpected but very talented athletes (more on them in a minute). The headliner is Laurie Barton (Daniel), who led South Carolina in the 800 by 6 seconds, running 2:10.79 back at Taco Bell. During that race, she defeated three members of Team NCRunners, making this a friendly grudge match, but Barton is the lone representative of Team SCRunners in this race. Current NC #2 Malia Ellington (Community School of Davidson) has a lifetime PR of 2:11.56, and she is using this race as a tune-up for her Dream Mile appearance next weekend - but I bet she would like to move up from 8th place on the state's all-time list in the process! So would Maddie McHugh (Hough), who sits at NC #3 right now and also has entered the top 25 in North Carolina's history in her only season here. Julia Brown (Cary) has been stuck just above the 2:14 barrier for the last two races, and this is just the kind of race she needs to break through. The final official representative of Team NCRunners is Eliza Dekker (Durham Academy), who is currently NC #10 but has a PR of 2:12.12, good for NC #12 All-Time.

What makes the girls' race extra interesting is the addition of the state's two best 400 runners, Layla White (Cary) and McKinley McNeill (Parkland). Both ran under 55 this spring, but White has more experience in the 800, with a lifetime PR of 2:13.12.

Team NCRunners almost had the top 4 boys 800 runners in the state, until Tanis Baldwin (East Henderson) decided to focus on the mile instead. North Carolina is still stacked in this race, with this year's current #1, Elijah Inuwa (Central Academy of Technology), and last year's #1, Vincent Crisp (North Mecklenburg), both in the race. Philip Hall (South View) chose the 3200 over the 800 for the state meet, but now he comes to the Elite Tune-Up to round out his list of season bests with a big half-mile time. Team SCRunners will be led by Orlando Brown (Northwestern), who clocked 1:56.82 at the state championship, and Ben Gilman (Hilton Head), who won a 1600 title a few weeks ago but was not able to put his best 800 out there. Hunter Jarvis (Thomas Sumter) is the wild card: he already improved 4 seconds from his state meet the first week in May to the SCRunners Meet of Champions, and he might have more still to show. In addition to the official representatives for each state, there are some other entries that can definitely make noise in this race - in particular, watch out for Sean Doyle (Polk County NC) as he seeks to break 1:55.

Border Clash Mile

With Baldwin opting for this race, he will lead Team NCRunners against a solid pair of Palmetto State runners. Seamus Love (Hilton Head) had a HUGE breakthrough at Golden South, clocking 4:15.30 for the full mile, making him the favorite. Jack Zemp (J.L. Mann) will try to win the second group, which should also include North Carolina runners James Gildard (East Chapel Hill) and Zachary Marchinko. This race would have been even more competitive with Malik Epps (Byrne SC), who had to withdraw this week, and Kyle Christ (West Johnston NC), who is sick and may not be able to compete.

Unfortunately, Team SCRunners will not have a competitor in the girls' mile; hopefully, we can get more buy-in next year. That means a clean sweep for North Carolina, but it doesn't take away from the competitiveness of the race at all. Elly Henes (Green Hope) is looking to improve her seeding for the postseason national meets, although her 4:56.41 is currently NC #4. G'Jasmyne Butler (Leesville Road), who could have been right in contention in the 800, instead chose to pursue a sub-5 mile. That's also where Megan Vaughn (Cardinal Gibbons) and Lilly Price (East Chapel Hill) want to go, and that group should benefit from Butler's aggressive running and Henes' late push. The addition of Anna Vess (A.C. Reynolds) makes one more for the sub-5 candidate in the lead pack, and there are some interesting entries that will try to tag along for PR's in what promises to be a quick race.

Other Events & Athletes to Watch

• Sydnei Murphy (Apex) may be concluding her high school career next weekend at the Dream 100 in New York, but she will get in at least one more meet on North Carolina soil first! She will run the 100 against a strong field that includes familiar foes Alex Council (Northwood) and Gabriele Cunningham (Mallard Creek). Courtney Warner (C.B. Aycock) may be the main competition, though, as her 11.80 is actually NC #1 wind-legal this season. Watch out for Cunningham - she has something to prove in the 100 after a false start at her regional took her out of the state meet, and she's a rocket out of the blocks. Murphy will also compete in the triple jump, where her all-time PR of 42' 0.75" (from indoor nationals) is NC #4 all-time, and leaves her only 5.25 inches shy of the all-time state record. With K'Lynn Beal (Broughton) also competing, Murphy will have to jump well just to win, and perhaps Beal can join the illustrious ranks of the 40-foot club!
• Speaking of Gabriele Cunningham, she took Ebony Williams all the way to the wire in the 4A 100 Hurdles, and this weekend she gets a crack at Anna Cockrell (Providence Day). If Anna runs all three races in which she is entered, she will be both tired and well-tested at the end of the day; in addition to Cunningham in the high hurdles, she will face Lakeisha Warner (Cary) in the 400 Hurdles and Courtney Warner in the 200. Nyasia Daniels (South Central) and Lauren White (Unattached) should also provide strong competition in the 200, as could McKinley McNeill (Parkland) - she hasn't run the 200 much, and who knows how much she will have left after the 800?
• Normally, Layla White would be a heavy favorite in the girls' 400, but this time she will have run the 800 less than an hour prior. If that slows her down a bit, it will only make the race more competitive, as there will be a fleet of strong sprinters in the race. Payton Russell (North Rowan) burst onto the scene by dropping a 56 in mid-April, then a 55 at her state meet. There could also be a cluster of girls with times right at 57 that will try to break into the 56's, and that should be fun to watch.
• The 3200 features at least 3 girls trying to improve their chances of getting into the New Balance Nationals 2 Mile, including Logan Morris (Spartanburg Christian SC). Top seed Kathleen Mansure (Watauga) has already met the standard, but that doesn't guarantee prime heat placement. Surprise entry Sara Platek (Ragsdale) sat out the spring season to recover from an injury, and word is that she is healthy and training well, and would like to shake off the rust for some possible national-caliber events this summer. Emily Pettis (Leesville Road) seeks her first sub-11 time, as does Noel Palmer (Liberty Christian VA). The girls should be helped by running simultaneously with a boys' field that includes only 1 sub-10 runner, Matt Thornton (Cary). In turn, some of the low-10's guys might be motivated to stay ahead of some really fast girls,
• There will be quite a showdown in the girls' high jump, with three girls that have been 5' 8" or higher squaring off. Kylie Polsgrove (Avery) has done so most recently and most meaningfully, but Kenya Livingston (Rocky River) has also cleared the height this year. Elizabeth Olesen (Hickory Ridge) has the best PR, having been over 5' 9.25" last spring. Also watch for relative newcomer Sarah Timberlake (West Forsyth), who could join the 5' 8" club with a good effort.
• Courtney Miles (Beddingfield) has flirted with the 19-foot mark this season, going over twice in small meets but falling short in championship competition. She will face K'Lynn Beal and two other 18-plus jumpers Saturday, and let's hope she notches another PR. Alina McDonald (Carolina Homeschool) is still in the hunt for her first 13-foot vault of her career, while Savannah Creed (South Johnston) wants to break 12 feet.
• When you include wind-aided times, Kadarius Lotharp (Sun Valley), Daniel Estrada (Platinum Sports), and Cravont Charleston (Mallard Creek) are 1-2-3 in the 100 rankings this spring, and they will square off this weekend for what could be the final word. Charleston is NC #1 for wind-legal times, and Vincent Siders (Jacksonville) ranks either 5th or 6th in the state depending on which way you look at it, so that makes 4 of the top 6 in one race! Estrada and Siders will also take on Kaylan Love-Soles (Rocky River), another sprinter in need of a big wind-legal time, in the 200. Love-Soles, in turn, will face off with Koyaki Cobb (Asheville School) and Dylan Peebles (Wakefield) in a solid 400 battle, with Aurelio Ottey (SW Onslow) running both long sprints for good measure.
• Brent Carroll (Phillip O. Berry) is the top seed in a very balanced 110 Hurdles that includes 3 other sub-14.50 hurdlers, including Isaac Johnson (Providence Day). Corey Thompson (East Gaston) is in that race and also holds the #1 ranking in the 400 Hurdles, where he will battle Andrew Spear (West Carteret) as well as Johnson and Carroll.
• Christopher Garrick (Marvin Ridge) should have the high jump essentially to himself, but in the pole vault his teammate Bailey Frederick should be challenged by Marshall Shank (East Rowan). Another Maverick, Julian Gaines, will try to win the triple jump, but that may be tough going with NC #2 Markel Dalton (Jay M. Robinson) in the event. Ryan Davis (Pine Forest) will most likely dominate in the shot put.
• The long jump should be an interesting battle between two 23-footers, Jayhlen Washington (North Brunswick) and Damani Sharpe (Beddingfield). Likewise in the discus throw, where Ryan Davis will square off against Iyin Battle (East Chapel Hill) in a rematch from the 4A state meet, where they finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Battle is the state leader and the only thrower over 180 feet this year.