800m Run
After an hour or so of delay on the track due to rain and thunder Will Cuicchi of Seaforth brought the energy back to the track in the 2A 800 meters going wire to wire to become a state champion in a time of 1:53.83 good for a new NC #6 marks. Senior Austin McGuire of Patton would take the silver in 1:56.77 followed by sophomore Hunter Midgett of Camden County at 1:58.97 and Trevor Shiffert of West Stokes at 1:59.64 for third and fourth respectively
The 4A boys 800-meter final proved to be a dramatic one. Freshmen and top seed coming in from the regional meets Joshua Cooper of Willow Springs took the field out in 58.62 keeping everyone in the race with a lap to go. Cooper would fend off Brandon Leacock of Milbrook who made an aggressive move with 200 meters and maintained his lead heading into the home stretch. However, senior Logan Hill of Charlotte Catholic had timed his finishing kick to perfection besting Cooper at the line in 1.54.29 to Cooper's 1.54.39, the talented Weddington pair of Hunter Bates and Ian Mas came back from their 4x800 win earlier in the day to finish in third and fourth with Bates at 1:56.12 and Charlotte commit Mas with a 1:56.38.
Junior Max Thompson of Kings Mountain squeaked out a win and became a state championship in the 3A 800 meters surviving a late charge from Croaton's Matthew Quispe to post new NC #3 1:53.57 to Quispe's 1:53.84 an NC #8 respectively. Sophomore Gus Simmons finished third in 1:55.23 and Bricen Burleson would follow right behind for fourth at 1:55.24, all four ran personal bests.
Carson Williams continued his 1A distance dominance leading the 800 meters from start to finish to take home his second state title of the day in 1:59.89. Ethan Byerly of South Davidson was second in 2:00.49, Mason Day of Elkin finished third in 2:00.57, and Elijah Cooley came back from his 4x800m winning anchor leg running 2:01.57 to round out the podium.