Girls 4x1600
When: 9:00AM
Cardinal Gibbons girls hold the meet record of 21:25 set in 2014 and will be aiming to break that mark this weekend. Their meet record is 5:21.25 pace per 1600, and assuming they're running their A team, they should certainly have 4 girls with a PR under that. They'll go against Chapel Hill, Green Hope, and Cary Academy. If you look at Chapel Hill's PRs on the season they sit at 4:57, 5:18, 5:19 and 5:29, and Green Hope at 5:02, 5:17, 5:25 and 5:27. Cary Academy has three girls under 5:15 career PRs, and two under 5:10. But Chapel Hill, Green Hope and Cary Academy have their top girls in the Premier 1600 section shortly after, so I'm not certain they'll be running their A teams, though all of these programs are incredibly deep. Note that three girls on this Gibbons team, Sloan Walter, Marissa Bishop and Annie Pierce currently hold the state record at 21:03.50. They'll replace grad Sophie Ebihara with (likely) stud sophomore Caroline Todd and see if they can improve their state record. Reference the current girls 4x1600m Team Rankings
Boys 4x1600
When: 9:30 AM
Green Hope, Cardinal Gibbons, Broughton. Three of North Carolina's all-time top distance programs will square off and likely challenge the state record of 17:37.48 set last year by Mount Tabor, a 4:24 average. I know Gibbons will be going all out with Connor Lane, Sam Grelck, Sam Thornton and Devin Williams as well as Green Hope with Ian Delgado, Ares Epps, Finn McBride and Peyton Barish, and I'm sure Broughton will as well. 16 laps around the track, a lot can happen between these three distance powerhouses!
Girls Premier 100m Hurdles
When: 10:00 AM
Taylor Scott (Wakefield) comes in as the top girl, but will challenged by Azari'el Wilson (Panther Creek) and Olivia Goodwin (Cary). Scott will be the favorite coming in as she is the only girl under 15 seconds. Can Wilson and Goodwin score the upset?
Boys Premier 110m Hurdles
When: 10:10 AM
Enoch Cheung (Raleigh Charter) is having an outstanding junior season, and comes in with the top mark of 14:56. Sam Handy (Cary) is a phenomenal athlete and will certainly turn this into a tough battle. Handy took 3rd at the NCHSAA 4A Indoor State Championships in the 55m Dash, and I think he has a big PR ahead of him in the 110s. Cheung's PR comes from last season and he's looking to get down to that mark once again as he is certainly the one to beat.
Girls Premier 1600m Run
When: 10:20 AM
We see a rematch from two girls who really impressed in the Raleigh Relays Mile in Katherine Dokholyan (Chapel Hill) and Alessandra Rodriguez (Green Hope). Dokholyan's time converted to 4:57.41 and she currently sits at NC#1. Rodriguez is at NC#3 with a converted 5:02.77. But this race will also feature Sarah Bodmer (Cary Academy) who has been running a lot of strong 1600s this season and currently ranks at NC#8 with a 5:07.18 from last week. Bodmer certianly cannot be counted out as she's improved in each of her 3 1600s this season.
Boys Premier 1600m Run
When: 10:30 AM
Ben Savino (Apex) will come in as the top dog after an impressive Mile at the Bojangles Classic 2 weeks ago where he took 3rd in a converted 1600 of 4:17.17, good for NC#4. I'm sure winning his Home Invitational would be huge for him and his teammates. Just behind him at Bojangles was Austin Carroll (Corinth Holders) who sits at NC#5 in 4:18.10 who will certainly be gunning for the win. Evan Harris (Lake Norman) has run 4:21.00 and has a lethal kick if he's in contention at the end of the race. Also NCISAA 3A XC State Champion Coleman Mitchell (Cary Academy) will be in this field as the Junior will enter his first elite 1600 field this season and will certainly be in contention for the win. If the race goes out at an honest pace there are plenty of boys that are capable of breaking 4:20.
Girls Premier 100
When: 10:40 AM
Melicia Mounzzon (Heritage) won this event last year in 12.33, but that time will certainly not win the crown this season as 6 girls enter with a PR under that, with Mounzzon and Zachrye Lane (Cardinal Gibbons) having sub 12 PRs. Lane has had a huge season, as the Howard commit ran 11.78 last season, and will certainly challenge the meet record of 11.84 set in 2005. Freshman Jonah Ross (Garner) will look to go sub 12 for what should be the first of many times in her HS career. Erin Johnson (Enloe) also has a PR of 12.10 and is having a very strong senior season. How many girls will be under 12 tomorrow?
Boys Premier 100
When: 10:50 AM
We have a rematch from the top 3 boys at the Wake County Championships as J Johnson (Panther Creek) led Brandon Ray (Athens Drive) and Rondell Terry (Garner) to new PRs and the top 3 times in NC of 10.34, 10.50 and 10.60 respectively. Also throw in Cameron Council (Northwood) who hasn't seen a big race since he won Carolina Relays a month ago in the rain in 10.81. Council will certainly be in the mix here. Johnson has been impressive this season and will look to continue that, and as impressive as his 10.34 PR is, I know he isn't satisfied yet.
Boys SMR
When: 12:55 PM
Panther Creek has run some strong 1600 SMRs this season with Kyle Fawzi on the 800 anchor. They blew away a strong field indoors at the VA Showcase, but they'll have a tough challenge win Cary, who were 4x400 indoor state champions. Their normal 4x400 anchor leg James Lundergan will likely be on anchor as his preferred distance is 800 meters, and after watching him anchor many epic 4x400s this season, he isn't someone I'd want to go up against at the end of a relay.
Girls 4x100
When: 1:15 PM
Cardinal Gibbons quietly has one of the best girls sprint squads in the state with NC#3 Zachyre Lane and NC#5 Taylor Currie in the 100 meters. Currie is also a star soccer player for Gibbons, so we don't see her as often in the outdoor season. They'll look to take down Garner and Panther Creek, but a lot can happen during the exchanges as it's harder than it looks to get the stick around while sprinting!
Girls 4x800
When: 1:55 PM
Chapel Hill, Cary Academy, Green Hope, Apex and Cardinal Gibbons will square off in what looks to be anybodies race for the taking. Green Hope certainly has a strong 4x800 and currently sit at NC#5. Cary Academy clocked an NC#3 9:43.08 earlier this season at the Colonial Relays in VA. Chapel Hill will have a strong team, and breakout star Katherine Dokholyan who ran 2:14 last week. I believe we will see a new NC#1 mark after this one, which is Mount Tabors 9:39.73.
Boys 4x800
When: 2:20 PM
I expect most of the 4x1600 runners will double back for the 4x800 rather than the DMR as there is a lot more time in between events. Broughton sits at NC#2 behind Millbrook, who look to not be running an A team in this event. Cary boys beat most of these teams at Wake County's running 8:11. Cary Academy also has plenty of talent in Coleman Mitchell, Chase Coley and Tommy Bright, if he's healthy. Green Hope had a 'B' team run 8:03 this indoor season, so no matter who they are running, they'll be in contention for the win.
Girls Pole Vault
When: 12:30 PM
Tessa Sheets (Northwood) holds a PR from last year of 13-0 and will look to challenge Anna Eaton's (Apex) meet record from two years ago at 13-0. Can Sheets set a PR an take down this stiff meet record? She will have some strong competition in Olivia Goodwin (Cary) and Elise Hall (Leesville Road). Goodwin sits at NC#2 with a 12-6 and Hall NC#4 at 11-9.
Boys Long Jump
When: 9:30 AM
J Johnson (Panther Creek) has been great in the Long Jump this season and currently sits at NC#1 with a 24-3.75. He's certainly the one to beat as his PR is a foot better than the rest of the field.
Girls Shot Put and Discus
When: 9:30 AM & 12:30 PM
Veronica Fraley (Wakefield) will challenge both the Shot Put and Discus Meet Records of 41-0.5 from Norjai Palma (Cary) and Kelley Smoke's (Durham Acadamy) 133-0 from 1999. Fraley's best this season are over these marks with throws of 154-10 and 43-0.