Ataja Stephane-Vázquez set a US #2 in the 400m at this weekend's Florida Relays
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Boys Outdoor Rankings
Girls Outdoor Rankings
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We're roughly six weeks away from the North Carolina State Championships, but the state's top athletes have gotten an early start lighting up the track (or field). Today, we're going to take a look at some of the state's top performers after a month of action and see who has set themselves up best for the postseason.
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North Carolina Meet Calendar
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Sprint Events - Top Performers
Nyan Brown, Mallard Creek - Not only is he one of North Carolina's best hurdlers, but he's among the best in the entire country. The senior won the 300m hurdles at the Bojangles Blazer Twilight on Friday, running a 36.70, good for NC #1 and US #7. The previous week, he ran a 52.11 in the 400m hurdles, which is the US #3 time this season.
Jeremiah Faison, Eastern Wayne - Across six hurdle competitions this season, the senior is undefeated, has run 13.64 (110mH) and 38.74 (300mH), and is the state leader in the 110m event. He will be looking to defend his 2A title in the event he's ranked 1st in and could also be in the mix to win his first 300m title too.
Cameron Tucker, Jay M Robinson - After the first month of racing, the senior is the state's top-ranked 200m runner thanks to his performance on Saturday, a 21.18 season debut. He also finished 2nd in the 100m dash, running a wind-aided 10.29. No matter what event he chooses to run in the postseason (he focused on the 200m and 400m last year), expect him to be firmly in the mix to add to his two outdoor titles.
Ataja Stephane-Vazquez, Southeast Guilford - She has quickly established herself as one of the top quarter-milers in the country this season, currently ranked US #2 in the 400m. The Southeast Guilford standout ran 51.70 to finish second at the Florida Relays and continues to build off a breakout year that included a Junior Olympic title in the 200m last summer.
Zhoe Holt, Bradford Prep - The freshman has been outstanding in the sprints this season, opening with two wins in the 100m dash and sitting atop the state leaderboard with a wind‑aided 11.25. Last year, she capped off her outdoor campaign by winning both the Junior Olympic and adidas Track Nationals titles in the 100m.
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Field Events - Top Performers
Maddox Krotzer, South Garner - Krotzer has quickly established himself as one of the premier high jumpers in the country and is currently ranked 2nd in the country. The senior has cleared 7-0 three times this spring - a good sign as he looks to improve upon his fourth-place finish at last year's state meet.
Rico Mabberley, Topsail - He has been dominant in the throws this season, remaining undefeated across seven competitions, including four wins in the shot put and three in the discus. The junior holds the NC #1 / US #13 mark in the shot put and hasn't lost in the outdoor event since May 4th of 2024. Since then, he has won an indoor state title and an outdoor national championship, cementing himself as one of the nation's best.
D'Anna Cotton, Hugh M Cummings - She has been outstanding in the triple jump this season, leading North Carolina with a 41‑4 leap that also sits at #8 across the US. The senior is undefeated in the event through four competitions after adding a state indoor triple jump title, establishing herself as one of the top jumpers in the country.
Promise Lovelace, Statesville - The senior stands as the state leader in both the discus and shot put, ranking in the top 10 in the country in both events. She is undefeated in the shot put through five competitions and has won three of four in the discus, posting marks of 154‑8 (D) and 48‑0.5 (SP).
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Distance Events - Top Performers
Owen Munn, Greensboro Home School - The junior is undefeated in four races this spring, having set a personal best in all three distance events - 1:55.49 (800m), 4:07 (1,600m), and 9:03 (3,200m). As a home schooler, Munn will not have the opportunity to compete for a state title, but he is the state's quickest in the 1,600m and 3,200m this season and will be competitive no matter where he races next.
Michael Ferguson, North Buncombe - The state's top-ranked 800m runner set a massive personal best running unattached against college athletes at the Charlotte 49er Classic. The future Furman Paladin's time of 1:51.92 is among the best in the country, having yet to lose in high school competition this outdoor season.
Kaitlyn Estep, Cardinal Gibbons - Estep has opened the season as the state's top 1,600m runner, clocking 4:40.51 at the Mount Tabor Mile. The sophomore is coming off a sensational fall cross country season where she won a state title and finished 8th at Brooks South, qualifying for the nation's biggest cross country race.
Cali Townsend, Watauga - The sophomore has shown incredible range early this season, ranking a NC #3 in the 800m, 1,600m, and 3,200m. Townsend has run personal best times of 2:13 (800m) and 4:50 (1,600m), while also running 10:39 (3,200m). She missed out on the podium by one position at last year's state meet but looks to be in the mix in all three come the postseason.
Ataja Stephane-Vázquez set a US #2 in the 400m at this weekend's Florida Relays
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