Charlotte Bell Runs 4:38 To Break 47 Year Old Meet Record

In her final NCHSAA State Championship for Cuthbertson, Georgetown commit Charlotte Bell has broken the longest standing NCHSAA State Championship record set by Julie Shea of Cardinal Gibbons in 1977.

The 1977 NCHSAA Girls State Championships were held at Hoke County HS Track in Raeford, NC where Julie Shea set the High School National Record in the 1 Mile of 4:43.1.  The Girls and Boys NCHSAA Championships were at different venues on different dates at this point. 

Since then, the NCHSAA has moved from the 1 Mile to the 1600m run which made Shea's State Championship record conversion 4:41.46.  Shea's mark stood as the North Carolina High School State Record for 40 years until Wesley Frazier from it in 2013.  It's currently still NC#6 All-Time Outdoors.

Bell was the defending 4A 1600m Outdoor Champion and two time defending 800m Champion with a personal best set last year of 4:39.59 for 1600m.  She won the state championship in 4:43.27 a year ago which was the second fastest mark in meet history behind Shea.

Bell was certainly the favorite running a 4:42.07 full Mile two weeks ago at the Trials of Mile in NYC, but her teammates Stella Kermes and Justine Preisano as well as Broughton's Louisa Betz had all been well under 4:50 this season as well.

To no surprise, Bell took the pace out with a slight gap on the field from the get go and would take it out in 1:09 through 400m with Preisano, Kermes and Betz a second behind.  She'd continue to push the pace really opening up her led on the second 400m coming around at 2:19 through the 800m.  

She'd continue to dominate in what proved to be a solo effort coming through 1200m to go in 3:29 needing a 1:11 or 1:12 final 400m to break Sheas' All-Class Championship Record.  Preisano would lead Kermes through in 3:34 with a 1-2-3 finish for Cuthbertson looking to be in the bag with a lead over the field in the race for 2nd.

Bell would not be denied over the final 400m rolling through the line in a new personal best and improving her NC#3 All-Time 1600m Mark running 4:38.92 as Preisano and Kermes would come through the line in 4:44 to net 24 points for the Cavaliers.  Sophomore Kasey Dingman of Lake Norman would run a big PR of 4:50 to get on the podium in 4th place.

Shea's record is no more with the top four girls all ranking in the top 7 of the events history at the NCHSAA State Championships.

All-Class NCHSAA State Championship 1600m

Bell's mark is also good for a new US#5 on the season.  She'll have a few races left before heading to Georgetown, but notably for the Mile she's entered in the Hoka Festival of Miles which she won last year in St. Louis, Missouri.  Only Ryen Frazier and Wesley Frazier stand in front of her in the All-Time 1600m list with marks of 4:36.97 and 4:37.55.  

Preisano's 4:44.27 moved her to NC#8 All-Time with Dingman at NC#20 All-Time.

Bell would double back to lead a 1-2-4 finish for Cuthbertson in the 800m running 2:08.78 ahead of Kermes' 2:09.59 for the 3rd fastest 800m performance of the NCHSAA Championship All-Time.