Kavi Gibson after winning the NCISAA Division I 3200m in 8:44
Kavi Gibson of Cary Academy won an all-time NCISAA Division I 3200m in 8:44.46 taking down a stacked field three and a half hours after running a 1:51.42 split where Cary Academy won the 4x800m in a NC#1 7:44.90.
The field was really strong as the 12 man second heat took a season best of 9:10 or faster to get into headlined by 8:40 3200m runner Brooks Barbee (Christ School), Kavi Gibson (Cary Academy) who ran 8:52 last weekend and George Lawson (Forsyth Country Day) who ran 8:54. Carl Baird (Christ School) ran a 9:13.47 to win the first heat, so the pace would have to certain be somewhat honest.
The race went out hot in 2:08 through 800m and 4:23 through 1600m. The top 11 boys all came through the halfway mark at 4:30 or faster. Gibson in the back of the lead group in 8th coming through in 4:26 with plenty of time to move up remaining.
Barbee would make a move to the lead on the fifth lap picking up the pace and putting a gap on the field. He crossed the 2K mark in 5:28.78 with teammate Reynolds Young (Christ School) in second at 5:31.94 with the top 8 of the field right behind him. Gibson had started to move up through the field and on the sixth lap came through in second just under 3 seconds back of Barbee.
They'd come to the bell and Gibson had reeled in Barbee over the 7th lap in what would be a fight over the final lap. He'd move ahead of Barbee and not look back closing in 1:00.56 to run a new personal best of 8:44.46. Barbee would hold off Lawson for second running 8:48.54 to 8:48.59 with Lawson closing well in 1:02.79. Young took fourth in 8:50.53 with John Templeton (Forsyth Country Day) overtaking sophomore Adam Haggart (Charlotte Country Day School) for fifth in 8:51.20 to 8:51.46 in massive PRs for both.
Despite the crazy results in front of him, 8th grader Luke Surface (North Raleigh Christian Academy) may have had the most impressive performance of the race running a 10 second PR of 8:52.03. This would be a new Middle School National Record over 3200m. Vincent Recupero (Bishop Blanchet, WA) holds the 14 year old 2 Mile World Record at 9:02.05, while this was only a 3200m he was well under the time as his 3200m would convert to a 8:55.12 2 Mile.
Jack Dennehy (Christ School) broke 9 minutes for the first time taking 8th in 8:57.56. 9:03.83 from Dallas Reeves (Christ School) took 9th not scoring at the meet. Through six NCHSAA State Championships with 6A and 8A to go tomorrow this would have been the fastest time of all the 3200ms thus far.
We'll see the majority of these boys rematch tomorrow over the 1600m and 800m at 1:25 PM and 3:00 PM.
Boys 3200 Meter Run Finals
