NCHSAA 1A Boys - Union Academy
A three-headed monster took over the NCHSAA 1A state meet. Union Academy relied on three athletes to score all the points for their squad, and it paid off. Evan Pardue was in all three sprint events, Evan Mitchell took on the 800m and 1,600m, and Ezra Martin went for glory in all the jumps.
Pardue opened the day with a third place finish in the 100m dash finals. He shined in the 200m and 400m, picking up victories in both events, and bringing the team total to 26 points. Mitchell went to work in the 1,600m, finishing 4th place and earning all-state honors. He was back on the track soon after and secured a 5th place finish. He added 9 points to the team total. Martin had a career-defining day, as well. He was all-state in the long, triple, and high jump competitions, including a win in the triple jump. He added 23.5 points.
As if you couldn't ask for more excitement, it came down to the 4x400m. Union Academy trailed Swain County 60-58.5. They needed to finish 6th or better in the 4x400m, as Swain County did not have a team.
Pardue and Mitchell teamed up on this run alongside Jacob Additon and Nathan Swinney to secure a 4th place finish, earning 5 points, and successfully winning the NCHSAA 1A Boy's Team State Championship.
| Event | Place | Athlete | Grade | Time/Mark |
| M 100m | 3 | Evan Pardue | 10 | 11.11 |
| M 100m | 4 | Evan Pardue | 10 | 11.16 |
| M 200m | 1 | Evan Pardue | 10 | 21.84 |
| M 400m | 1 | Evan Pardue | 10 | 48.86 |
| M 800m | 5 | Evan Mitchell | 12 | 2:02.64 |
| M 1600m | 4 | Evan Mitchell | 12 | 4:34.27 |
| M 4x400m | 4 | 3:31.89 | ||
| M HJ | 4 | Ezra Martin | 12 | 6-02.00 |
| M TJ | 2 | Ezra Martin | 12 | 43-11.00 |
| M LJ | 1 | Ezra Martin | 12 | 22-09.75 |