Providence Day Sweep JDL Independent Invite Team Titles

JDL Independent Schools Invitational
Brett Honeycutt


Complete Results

NCISAA Indoor Leaderboards: Boys | Girls

WINSTON-SALEM -- The JDL Independent Invite began with a battle between two of North Carolina's best 4x800-meter girls' relays, with Providence Day edging Charlotte Country Day, 9:59.38 to 10:00.67.  

That's how the places for the team title would shake out as well, for both boys and girls, as Providence Day swept track and field team titles on Tuesday in the JDL Independent Invite at JDL Fast Track, which hosted 19 private schools from across North Carolina. 

The meet, in its third year (it was held outdoors last year at Gaston Christian and named the Winter Classic), isn't a state championship for private schools. However, it's the equivalent and the closest the schools have to a state championship right now since the NCISAA doesn't sponsor indoor track. The kids and coaches, though, treated as if they were at a state championship - going for medals, team points, trophies, and trying to end the winter/indoor season with strong performances as the outdoor season approaches and as indoor nationals approach in March. 

It was the third straight title for Providence Day's boys' and girls' teams. Charlotte Country Day finished runner-up in the boys' meet for the third straight year, and was runner-up in the girls' meet for the second time in three years (Coastal Christian was runner-up last year). 

Charlotte Country Day's girls' distance crew of Linde Fonville (Yale signee), Harper Shaw (Tulane signee), Anna Maynard and two-time NCISAA 4A cross country champion, sophomore Kasey Cone, racked up points in seven events to score the bulk of the Buccaneers' points, including the NC No. 8 4x400-meter time (4:07.90) this season to edge out Providence Day's 4:10.64 (NC No. 12). 

But it was Providence Day's depth in the field, distance and sprints that helped the girls pull away. 

"Providence Day's participation in indoor track and field isn't taken for granted because of all the hard work that (Cary Academy coach) Conrad Hall has done into making this a possibility," Providence Day girls' coach Carol Lawrence said. "My AD, Nancy Beatty, has been a champion of our cause to provide kids with an outlet during the winter, and the kids have shown up every day with a grateful attitude. With that said, I am so happy for all the kids who have participated in all the championships. They had fun performing and ended up with wins all three years, and I am most proud of them for showing up, working hard, and performing to the best of their abilities." 

Leading the Providence Day girls was Duke signee Falon Spearman, who won her specialty, the 55-meter hurdles in a meet record and N.C. No. 2 time this season of 7.97 (Santana Spearman, No. 6 in North Carolina in the event, was runner-up in 8.28. It was the third straight year Falon Spearman has won the event. She also finished runner-up in the 55 meters (7.24) and 300 meters (41.24) and ran a leg on the runner-up 4x400-meter relay (4:10.64). 

Also, senior Ijeoma Eziri, won the triple jump (33-9) for the third straight year, won the long jump (17-9, which tied her No. 7 NC best this season), and ran on the winning 4x200-meter relay; and sophomore Carly Arrington, won the 1,600 meters (5:05.64, meet record) and was runner-up in the 3,200 (11:29.74) by just more than a second to Cary Christian's Ryann Aycock (11:28.46). 


The Chargers' girls led with 164 points, followed by Charlotte Country Day (111), Metrolina Christian (59), Cannon School (55), Trinity Academy of Raleigh (46), Cary Academy and Coastal Christian (25 each), Cary Christian (18), Greensboro Day (16), Ravenscroft and Calvary Day (11 each) and Grace Christian Raleigh (8). 


Leading the Providence Day boys was Brunner Williams (a junior), who won the 300 meters (36.54 seconds) and ran key legs on two winning relays (4x200-meter relay, 1:34.87, and the 4x400-meter relay, 3:36.27), while also finishing second in the 55 meters (6.71). The Chargers led with 128 points, followed by Charlotte Country Day (57), Christ School (49), Cary Academy (47), Cannon School (42), Metrolina Christian (39), North Raleigh Christian (37), Coastal Christian (32), Charlotte Christian (29), Westchester Country Day and Trinity Academy (20), Durham Academy (15), Cary Christian (11), Grace Christian Raleigh (5), Greensboro Day (4) and Burlington Christian (3).  

"The kids at PD have really taken to indoor track and embrace it as they do any other sport/season," said longtime Providence Day boy's coach Ben Hovis. "There are many kids that have aspirations to continue their track careers into college, and running indoor track is a great way to show coaches what they can do and their dedication. The teams really came together and performed quite well on Tuesday. They had a lot of fun and certainly are now even more excited for the outdoor season." 

Next year, with the NCISAA giving indoor/winter track a new designation, the sport could begin to really take off and give student-athletes at private schools more opportunities during the winter. 


DOUBLE-EVENT WINNERS 

BOYS 

  • The only double-event individual boys' winner was North Raleigh Christian sophomore jumper Walker Norris, who set meet records in the long jump (20-feet, 11.5 inches) and triple jump (43-feet). Norris is the No. 9 long jumper in North Carolina (public or private) and the No. 14 triple jumper. 

GIRLS 

  • Besides Ijeoma, there were two other double-event winners in the girls' meet: Cannon School sophomore sprinter Teri Pridgen, who won the 55 meters (7.11) and the 300 meters (40.96), Coastal Christian freshman Hannah Grace, who won the pole vault (10-6) and high jump (4-10). 

REPEAT WINNERS 

BOYS 

  • Brunner Williams (Providence Day) won the 300 meters for the second straight year, coming back in the last 100 meters and catching Charlotte Christian's Armonte Ferguson at the finish line. Both were timed in 36.54. Ferguson, the top 200-meter runner in North Carolina, is ranked  No. 10 overall in the 300, public and private schools. 

GIRLS 

  • Charlotte Country Day Yale signee Linde Fonville, 500 meters 
  • Charlotte Country Day Tulane signee Harper Shaw, 1,000 meters 
  • Cary Christian's Ryan Aycock, a four-time NCISAA state champion in track (twice in the 1,600 and twice in the 3,200) and a two-time NCISAA cross country champion, won the 3,200 meters after winning in 2020. 
  • Providence Day's Falon Spearman, 55-meter hurdles (third straight title) 
  • Providence Day's Ijeoma Eziri, triple jump (third straight title) 

MEET RECORDS 

BOYS 

  • Charlotte Christian junior Armonte Ferguson, who was the 2021 NCHSAA 1A 100-meter champion for Mountain Island Charter and ran a wind-aided 10.65 in the 1A Midwest Regional, ran 6.48 in the 55 meters to break the mark of 6.57 set by Providence Day's Olufemi Cole in 2020. Ferguson also ran on Mountain Island Charter's state champion 4x100-meter relay last year, as well. 
  • Cary Academy junior Ryan Newnam won for the 500 meters for second straight year and broke his own meet record of 1:10.41 he set last year, running 1:09.52  
  • Christ School's Dawson Reeves ran 4:27.53 to win the 1,600 meters and break the mark of 4:29.71 set last year by Providence Day's Colter Nichols. Reeves is ranked No. 8 in the mile in North Carolina, public and private. 
  • Charlotte Christian senior Moise Bennett tied the meet record of 8.06 in 55-meter hurdles, set by North Raleigh Christian's Zack Weekman in 2020. 
  • Providence Day's Brunner Williams, Kasey Brooks, Zach Makemson and Aiden Ray ran 3:36.27 in the 4x400-meter relay to break the mark of 3:38.56 set by Providence Day last year. 
  • Christ School's Jackson Burch, Jack Cross, Rocky Hansen and Will Peeler ran 8:28.05 in the 4x800-meter relay to break the mark of 8:44.78 set by Providence Day in 2020. 
  • North Raleigh Christian's Walker Norris set meet records in the long jump (20-11.5) and triple jump (43-0), breaking the marks of 19-6 (set by Providence Day's Brunner Williams last year) and 42-2 (set by North Raleigh Christian's TJ Nyandroo in 2020), respectively. 

GIRLS 

  • Cannon School sophomore Teri Pridgen ran 7.11 in the 55 meters to better the 7.21 set by Charlotte Country Day's Kaia Putman in 2020. Pridgen is ranked No. 8 in North Carolina in the event, with a best of 7.09. 
  • Charlotte Country Day Yale signee Linde Fonville won her second straight 500 meters, this time in 1:17.56, breaking the mark of 1:19.26 set by Charlotte Country Day's Clarkson Graham in 2020. Her 1:17.56 was the 8th fastest time in North Carolina this season, and she has the No. 4 time in North Carolina in the 1,000 meters at 2:56.06, but she did not run the event on Tuesday, instead running the 300, 500 and the winning 4x400-meter relay. 
  • Charlotte Country Day Tulane signee Harper Shaw ran 3:03.86 in the 1,000 meters to break the record of 3:05.27 set by Charlotte Country Day's Sophie Spada in 2020. 
  • Providence Day sophomore Carly Arrington ran 5:05.64 in the 1,600 meters to better the mark of 5:18.61 set by Charlotte Country Day's Sophie Spada in 2020. 
  • Providence Day senior Falon Spearman broke her own meet record in the 55-meter hurdles, running 7.97 to beat the 8.20 she set last year. 
  • Charlotte Country Day sophomore Kate Stajos, sister of 2020 boys' shot put winner, Jack Stajos, and 2021 boys' shot put winner, Owen Stajos, put the shot 31-feet, 8.5 inches, to best the 31-6 set by Cannon School's Sofia Rooney last year. 
  • Coastal Christian freshman Hannah Grace set a meet record in the pole vault (10-6) to break the mark of 10-3 set by Metrolina Christian's Daphne Bogert in 2020, and Grace tied the high jump mark of 4-10, which was set by Providence Day's Santana Spearman in 2020.