Boys Sprints& Hurdles
Boys 55m Dash
Last year Josh Polk (Hobbton) took third and will be the top returner from last season. But both he and Cameron Barnhill (North Brunswick) were both in the finals last indoor season and have stepped their game up majorly this indoor season. Barnhill ran a 6.49 in the prelims at the Eastern High School Challenge setting the best FAT mark in NCHSAA 1A/2A this indoor season. Polk is just behind with a 6.53. Other contenders are JC Smith (North Brunswick) and Kajuan Jackson (Carver) who have run 6.56 and 6.59 to rank 3rd and 4th in 1A/2A respectively. The meet record in this event was set in 2015 by Juwan Crowder (Forest Hills) who ran a 6.33. It'll likely be a tight 4 man battle assuming all 4 can make it safely to the finals.
Boys 300m Dash
Scott Mcclendon (Forest Hills) enters with the top time in 1A/2A this year with a 35.52, but Josh Polk (Hobbton), Quiton Adams (Carrboro) and Tyler Robinson (Croatan) all have a great shot to win it. Only Mcclendon has broken 36 seconds, but there are plenty of boys in this field that are on the fringe of that. Polk holds a FAT mark of 36.02 and Adams 36.19. Robinson holds a season's best mark of 36.28, but is entered with a slower mark from this season and will have to win it from one of the slower sections. Isaac Hill (Reidsville) will be looking to keep that 300m title with Reidsville as his former teammate Elliott Graves won the title last year in 35.18. Mccledon is the top returner in this field as he took 6th place a year ago.
Boys 500m
Croatan teammates Michael Quispe and Tyler Robinson hold the top two marks this season of 1:06.50 and 1:06.79. Robinson scored a big win two weeks ago at the Eastern High School Challenge and will look to win his first individual state title over his teammate who got the best of him a week ago at the East Central Conference Championships. Jesse Ballew (CATA) has showed great progression in the 500 this season and got his mark down to 1:07.86 last week. But Will Manneh (T.W. Andrews) is the top returner in this event after taking 3rd last season and will be ready to rise to the occasion on the big stage. Manneh ranks 4th this season with a 1:08.49.
Boys 55m Hurdles
Jayhlen Washington (North Brunswick) comes in as a heavy favorite in this event after showing how strong he was over the hurdles at the Eastern High School Challenge where he ran a NC#1 mark of 7.36. Ellijah Gaddy (Forest Hills) and Jathan Deberry (North Brunswick) will be looking to score an upset over Washington. Gaddy and Deberry have run FAT marks of 7.71 and 7.82 respectively. This event denied Washington of being a triple winner last season as he took third behind Elliott Graves and Gaddy last season. The meet record Graves set of 7.44 will certainly be in question Friday night if everything goes as planned for Washington.