In a fitting end to a great weekend of competition, the Invitational Mile produced a pair of national leading times.
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Invitational Events
Girls 60 Dash
At the start of the meet Friday, we had eight girls lined up for this event, a full section. Then, when Imari McLean (Hillside, lane 6 in blue) ran so well Friday, we looked for a way to enter her, as well. Things became more complicated when we got word that Paisley Simmons (TW Andrews, lane 2 in purple) was back in town earlier than expected, and wanted to race. So, we ended up with 10 girls in two sections, and also with a much better race than we started with. It's a good thing, too, because Simmons pulled off the win over Sydney Murphy (lane 3 in purple & yellow) and Sabrina Moore (North Meck, lane 4 in blue), who came back from a disappointing 55 final on Friday to run much better Saturday afternoon. After driving over from High Point just for a 7.71-second race, Simmons left with a gold medal and a US #4 ranking; Murphy and Moore ended up 9th and 10th in the nation.
Girls 60 Meter Dash Invitational
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Name Year School Finals H# Points
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1 Paisley Simmons SR Unattached 7.71 1
2 Sydnei Murphy SO Unattached 7.82 1
3 Sabrina Moore SR North Meckle 7.83 1
4 Imari McLean JR Hillside 7.90 1
5 Ashlan Rosier SR Velocity Str 7.94 2
6 Alexandria Council SO Unattached 8.00 1
7 Kayla Tyson SR Unattached 8.07 1
8 Kaitlin Lucius SR Velocity Str 8.13 2
9 Sloan Williams JR Winston-Sale 8.13 2
10 Deonica Reid SO Winston-Sale 8.37 2
Boys 60 Dash
James Drummond (Lexington, lane 1 in blue and black) had a rough weekend, really. He suffered through a false start in the 55 final, then ran an indoor PR of 35.4 in the 300 only to be disqualified for running out of his lane. After all of that, he still had his head together, and he calmly powered through a little stumble out of the blocks to take this race in a US #8 time of 6.97. Darius Watkins (Grovetown GA, lane 6 in black and red) edged out William Buckley (East Chapel Hill, lane 4 in white) for second place, as Buckley showed that his 55 dash on Friday was no fluke.
Boys 60 Meter Dash Invitational
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Name Year School Finals Points
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1 James Drummond SR Unattached 6.97
2 Darius Watkins SR Velocity Str 7.04
3 William Buckley SR East Chapel 7.05
4 Joshua Peoples Unattached 7.12
5 Jeremy Harden SR Velocity Str 7.12
6 William Cameron SO Southern Dur 7.13
7 Kimani Hoffman JR Knightdale 7.22
Girls 60 Hurdles
After a 9-hour drive down from Saline, Michigan, Quenee' Dale (Saline MI, in yellow) found herself getting beaten in the 55 hurdles on Friday. As a result, she appeared to be very well-motivated for the 60, and she took charge immediately en route to 8.88, just a hair slower than her US #1 time in this event from an earlier meet. Hunter Roberts (Southwest Guilford, in green), who had a bad race in the trials of the 55 hurdles, also redeemed herself with her second-place finish in this one, grabbing the second spot in the national rankings to boot. In fact, all five of the girls in the final ended up in the top ten in the country!
Girls 60 Meter Hurdles Invitational
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Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Quenee' Dale JR Unattached 8.88
2 Hunter Roberts SR Southwest Gu 8.93
3 Kaila Smith SR Unattached 9.13
4 Alyiah Riley SR High Point C 9.14
5 Nora Mckiver SR Unattached 9.16
Boys 60 Hurdles
The national leader in the 55 hurdles and the long jump, Isaiah Moore (Cummings, lane 4), narrowly missed adding another US #1 in this race. He would have to settle for a US #2 8.02, with teammate Thomas Jones II (lane 5) clocking in at 8.07, good for US #4. We were disappointed with the number of no-shows in this race, and will hopefully take steps to make sure that doesn't happen again. The big negative to that situation was felt by Caleb Mathis (Davie, who found himself with a lot of open lanes around him but still managed to finish with the 11th-best time in the country so far this season.
Boys 60 Meter Hurdles Invitational
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Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Isaiah Moore JR Cummings 8.02
2 Thomas Jones SR Cummings 8.07
3 Caleb Mathis SR Davie County 8.41
Girls 400 Dash
Deja Parrish (American Heritage FL, in turquoise) was content to sit behind Layla White (Cary) on the first lap, then used her sub-24 speed to power past on the backstretch and hold on for the win. Her time of 57.13, very quick for Decemeber and a flat track, ranks her second in the country, with White coming in at US #3 with her 57.40. We hope both of them will be back next year for a rematch! Also noteworthy was the finish of Nikolete Hurrinus (Cuthbertson), who followed her 500 PR Friday with a near-PR in the 400; seeing as how she set that PR in May last spring, it's safe to say that Hurrinus is way ahead of schedule this year.
Girls 400 Meter Dash Invitational
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Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Deja Parrish Unattached 57.13
2 Layla White SO Cary 57.40
3 Nikolete Hurrinus JR Cuthbertson 58.82
4 Jocelyn Culbreath JR Reagan 59.78
5 Tanazia Owens SR Harding Univ 1:01.75
Boys 400 Dash
Marquavious Johnson (Knightdale, in yellow) took immediate control of this race and almost turned it into a rout, but Kwame Donyinah (Myers Park) was able to reel him in down the final stretch to make it a close race. Johnson held on for the win, becoming only the 5th athlete in the nation to break 50 seconds so far this winter. Donyinah earned a US #7 ranking for his 50.12, while Henry Kiedy (Knightdale) finished a second behind in third.
Boys 400 Meter Dash Invitational
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Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Marquavious Johnson JR Knightdale 49.98
2 Kwame Donyinah SR Myers Park 50.12
3 Henry Kiedy JR Knightdale 51.03
4 Jamaree Murray Unattached 51.16
5 Derrick Boyce Berry Academ 55.31
Girls 800 Run
As expected, this race quickly separated into a front group of three and then the rest of the field. Jennie Cunningham (Pinecrest), on fresh legs and itching to really drop the hammer, took command early and never relinquished the lead. As she powered down the final stretch for a US #12 time of 2:19.15, only Kaylie Loyd (Southeast Raleigh) was able to stay close to her. Gina Daniel (Providence) looked a little weary on her third race of the weekend, but she nonetheless held onto third place.
Girls 800 Meter Run Invitational
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Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Jennie Cunningham SR Pinecrest 2:19.15
2 Kaylie Loyd JR Southeast Ra 2:20.91
3 Gina Daniel SR Providence 2:23.11
4 Anna McElrath JR Independence 2:26.12
5 Mason Kepley SO High Point C 2:27.78
6 Hana Ratcliffe JR Durham Schoo 2:30.42
7 Christina Nikolaou SO Olympic 2:31.15
8 Abby Adams JR St. David's 2:32.94
Boys 800 Run
The possibility that South Carolina would come up north and take over this race never materialized, as Josiah Elliott (Parkland) took charge of the race with an aggressive start. Elliott's 1:57.58 was good for US #5, providing a nice pair with his current US #3 ranking in the 500. Surprising Ariel Shores (Southeast Guilford) had a breakthrough race, running a PR 1:58.37 to rank 9th in the country so far this winter. Getting your best time ever on a flat 200-meter indoor track is quite an accomplishment! Nate Gordon (Spartanburg SC) was the only other runner to break 2 minutes in the race, but this was just a chance for him to "shake off the rust" as he does not have any meaningful meets for a few more months.
Boys 800 Meter Run Invitational
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Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Josiah Elliott Parkland 1:57.58
2 Ariel Shores JR Southeast Gu 1:58.37
3 Nate Gordon Unattached 1:59.49
4 Erik Wendt COA 2:00.37
5 Chad Fennell JR Unattached 2:01.61
6 Traevin Drayton-Ferguson SR Berry Academ 2:03.17
7 Wyatt Maxey JR Providence 2:03.37
8 Jon Knight JR Northern Gui 2:03.61
9 Dustin Sneed JR Reynolds, R. 2:04.19
10 Steve Stowe JR North Forsyt 2:19.12
Girls One Mile Run
As she has many times in the past, Wesley Frazier (Ravenscroft) was forced to push herself, and it is something she excels at. From the gun she was on her own, and she made the best of it, running 4:48.33 for the full mile, a US #1 mark by 5 seconds and the fastest ever run by a North Carolina girl indoors. If this is any indication of her fitness so early in a long track season, it will be very enjoyable to see what she can accomplish in March and June! Her younger sister Ryen ran a PR of 5:02.53 in finishing second, and that puts her at US #5. Like her older sibling, Ryen was able to break away and push herself, as the rest of the field grouped together and ended up right around the 5:20 mark. That might have been a bit different if Malia Ellington (CSD) hadn't caught the rail and turned her ankle, and we hope she heals quickly so that she can show her fitness soon.
Girls 1 Mile Run Invitational
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State Record: S 5:06.16 2002 Erika Schneble, Hendersonville
Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Wesley Frazier Zussen 4:48.33S
2 Ryen Frazier Zussen 5:02.53S
3 Emily Williams SR Unattached 5:19.61
4 Stefanie Kurgatt More Otters 5:19.97
5 Chandler Borton SR Reynolds, R. 5:21.19
6 Bianca Bishop JR Providence 5:29.33
7 Malia Ellington Unattached 5:42.19
Boys One Mile Run
At one point earlier this month, Bakri Abushouk (Cary) wasn't sure he was ready for a major race so early in the season. Even after accepting the invitation, I don't think he and his coach were quite prepared for what happened. Abushouk, used to pulling away from cross country fields this past fall, did the same here, dominating the race from the gun to post a US #1 mark of 4:14.18, an all-time PR for him and 6 seconds ahead of the next fastest time in the country. If this is not fully prepared, then we can expect big things from him in the spring! Well behind him, Clayton Wilson (Greensboro Day) won a great battle with rising star Ian Milder (Mount Tabor), both of them posting PR's in the 4:24 range.
Boys 1 Mile Run Invitational
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State Record: S 4:10.61 2003 Bobby Mack, North Forsyth
Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Bakri Abushouk SR Cary 4:14.18
2 Clayton Wilson SR Greensboro D 4:24.93
3 Ian Milder JR Mount Tabor 4:24.94
4 Kenan Farmer JR Unattached 4:27.15
5 Collin Loy JR Southern Ala 4:28.24
6 Dalton Nickel SR Mount Tabor 4:28.26
7 Brett Freed Unattached 4:39.19
8 John Rohr Broughton 4:44.09
Friday Highlights
Boys Shot Put
After putting up a PR of 56' 7.5" in his first meet of the season, Jon Beyle (East Chapel Hill) took a big leap forward by throwing 58' 9" to claim the top spot in the country right now. Nikolas Huffman (Virginia HS VA) threw a season best of 56' 6" to finish second, improving on his existing US #11 mark, while Pinecrest's Matt Carlson added almost two feet to his all-time best by reaching 49' 6.25".
Boys Shot Put
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State Record: S 57-11 1990 Ed Robertson, High Point Andrews
Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Jon Beyle SR East Chapel 58-09.00S 17.90m
2 Nikolas Huffman SR Unattached 56-06.00 17.22m
3 Matt Carlson SR Pinecrest 49-06.25 15.09m
4 Jalen Marlowe SR Unattached 46-10.50 14.28m
5 Jordan Raper SR Unattached 46-07.25 14.20m
6 Chetney Taylor FR Ragsdale 44-11.25 13.69m
7 Christopher Reynolds JR Ledford 44-02.00 13.46m
8 Elijah Mallory JR Wakefield 43-03.75 13.20m
Girls 55 Hurdles
This race produced two of the best times in the nation this year, as Nora McKiver (T.W. Andrews, unfortunately not pictured) defended her home turf against Quenee' Dale (Saline MI, in yellow). McKiver ran 8.13, good for US #2, with Dale right behind with her US #4 8.16. After those two, there was a serious battle between the two girls that very well could be next year's stars in the hurdles, freshmen Shellbi Chapman (Sanderson, in red) and Breanne Bygrave (Wakefield), both of whom have extensive club track experience coming into this year. Chapman came away with a narrow victory, 8.31 (US #9) to 8.35 (US #18), in the first of what is sure to be many races between the two.
Girls 55 Meter Hurdles
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State Record: S 8.07 2003 Chandra Pulliam, Burlington Cummings
Name Year School Finals Points
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Finals
1 Nora Mckiver SR Unattached 8.13
2 Quenee' Dale JR Unattached 8.16
3 Shellbi Chapman FR Sanderson 8.31
4 Breanne Bygrave FR Wakefield 8.35
5 Jasmine Moore JR Wakefield 8.44
6 Kaila Smith SR Unattached 8.47
7 Charity Shaw SR Southern Dur 8.55
8 Aminah Ghaffar SR Fayetteville 8.63
Boys 55 Hurdles
After Thomas Jones II (Cummings, lane 3 in blue) posted the top time in the trials, teammate Isaiah Moore (lane 4 in white) had to reassert himself. This is the closest race between the two that I can remember, and it could be that the breakthrough for Jones is coming very soon. As it stands, though, Moore did not improve on his already-US #1 time, while Jones moved himself up into the third spot in the national rankings. Justin Johnson (High Point Central, lane 5 in blue) finished third with a solid time of 7.61, earning him US #7 so far this season.
Boys 55 Meter Hurdles
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State Record: S 7.11 2007 Johnny Dutch, Clayton
Name Year School Finals Points
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Finals
1 Isaiah Moore JR Cummings 7.42
2 Thomas Jones SR Cummings 7.44
3 Justin Johnson SR High Point C 7.61
4 Caleb Mathis SR Davie County 7.70
5 Xavier Carter JR West Johnsto 7.92
6 Vincent Ragland SR Unattached 8.00
7 Xavier Foster SR Unattached 8.29
8 sterling jones SR Winston-Sale 8.45
Girls 55 Dash
Imari McLean (Hillside) just burst onto the North Carolina sprint scene with two huge races, running 7.22 in the prelims and then coming back with a US #4 7.16 in the final to take the photo-finish win. Sydnei Murphy (unattached, in white) had lowered herself to US #3 with her 7.15 in the prelims, but she got edged out in the final (despite a great lean) in the first race this season where she has truly been challenged. The entire field was under 7.40, with the last 6 girls separated by only 0.09 (kudos to the guys from Big Kahuna Timing for getting it sorted out quickly). McLean is a junior and Murphy a sophomore, so we just might get to see a rematch between them sometime.
Girls 55 Meter Dash
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State Record: S 6.87 2007 Gabby Mayo, Southeast Raleigh
Name Year School Finals Points
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Finals
1 Imari McLean JR Hillside 7.16
2 Sydnei Murphy SO Unattached 7.16
3 Sabrina Moore SR North Meckle 7.30
4 Jasmine Dawson SR West Johnsto 7.32
5 Tyra Lea JR Wakefield 7.32
6 Ama-Selina Tchume JR Southeast Ra 7.35
7 Kayla Tyson SR Unattached 7.37
8 Teri Strickland JR West Johnsto 7.39
Boys 55 Dash
This final was disrupted by two consecutive false starts, leaving only six competitors once a legal start was achieved. William Buckley (East Chapel Hill, lane 6 in white) pulled off the win in a mild surprise, showing that he is well ahead of last year's pace in his development as a sprinter. His time of 6.46 tied him for third in the country, giving North Carolina three of the top 6 spots in the national rankings. It was a narrow victory over two members of the Velocity Sun Striders, Darius Watkins (Grovetown GA, lane 4 in red) and Jeremy Harden (Greenbrier GA).
Boys 55 Meter Dash
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State Record: S 6.21 1996 Chris Justice, Greensboro Grimsley
Name Year School Finals Points
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Finals
1 William Buckley SR East Chapel 6.46
2 Darius Watkins SR Velocity Str 6.50
3 Jeremy Harden SR Velocity Str 6.51
4 Xavier Jones SR Ragsdale 6.52
5 William Cameron SO Southern Dur 6.57
6 Brandon McLean Triton 6.74
-- Khairee Lewis JR Sanderson FS
-- James Drummond SR Unattached FS
Girls Triple Jump
We've been waiting for North Carolina's triple jump talent to assert itself, and that finally started to happen on Friday afternoon. Dejah Hayes (Western Guilford) produced a 37' 6.5" jump, a foot short of her PR but still good enough for US #12 this young winter season. Kelsey Perry (Jordan, competing unattached), made her first appearance of the year and started out well, reaching 36' 6" to rank second in North Carolina and 22nd in the nation. Sophomore Tamilia Wright (Williams) earned a new all-time best with her 36' 5" mark, which is third in the country among current 10th-graders.
Girls Triple Jump
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State Record: S 40-11.50 1995 Twyla Smith, SO. Pines Pinecrest
Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Dejah Hayes SR Western Guil 37-06.50 11.44m
2 Kelsey Perry JR Unattached 36-06.00 11.12m
3 Tamilia Wright SO Williams 36-05.00 11.09m
4 Destinie Sykes SR Unattached 35-10.00 10.92m
5 Samirah Stephens SR Cummings 35-10.00 10.92m
6 Charity Shaw SR Southern Dur 35-08.00 10.87m
7 Mikaela Seibert SO Cuthbertson 33-10.00 10.31m
8 Julice Crowder JR Monroe 33-02.50 10.12m
Girls 500
What an incredible battle this race produced! If you weren't there, you missed an immensely entertaining race, as Tiana Patillo (Wakefield) and Layla White (Cary) traded blows for two and a half laps around the JDL Fast Track. White pushed the pace early, but at the break it was Patillo who got the inside, forcing White to run in lane two. Despite the extra distance, the Cary Imp stayed right on the shoulder of the Wakefield Wolverine all the way to the finish, although she was unable to get past. Patillo's time of 1:17.99 is US #8 right now, with White reaching US #10 in her first indoor race of the season. Nikolete Hurrinus (Cuthberston) was impressive in taking third from the second-fastest section, putting up a US #13 1:18.31 and earning herself a spot in the invitational 400 on Saturday, where she will get a crack at White.
Girls 500 Meter Dash
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State Record: S 1:14.41 2007 Ebony Cunningham, Southeast Raleigh
Name Year School Finals H# Points
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1 Tiana Patillo SR Wakefield 1:17.99 8
2 Layla White SO Cary 1:18.13 8
3 Nikolete Hurrinus JR Cuthbertson 1:18.31 7
4 Jemay Ward SO Wakefield 1:19.82 8
5 Tia Robinson SO Wakefield 1:19.83 8
6 Reneazia Collins JR Monroe 1:20.17 6
7 Delaney Dunkley JR Marvin Ridge 1:21.17 7
8 Jaleesa Smoot SO Salisbury 1:21.45 6
Boys 500 Run
In one of the best finishes of the weekend, David Yang (Providence) was able to hold off Marcell Johnson (Knightdale, in black) and James Branch (Southeast Raleigh) for the win. Meanwhile, Traevin Drayton-Ferguson (Phillip O. Berry), running several heats before the fastest, was able to produce a fast enough time to steal the bronze medal. Knightdale currently has three of the top 8 500 runners in the state of North Carolina, a fact that came into play in the 4x400 Saturday.
Boys 500 Meter Dash
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State Record: S 1:04.05 2007 Lamarr Davis, East Wake
Name Year School Finals H# Points
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1 David Yang SR Providence 1:07.65 12
2 Marcell Johnson JR Knightdale 1:07.95 12
3 Traevin Drayton-Ferguson SR Berry Academ 1:08.02 8
4 James Branch SR Southeast Ra 1:08.08 12
5 Phillip Bryant SR Unattached 1:08.70 10
6 Xavier Jones SR Ragsdale 1:09.49 11
7 Elijah Reid JR Southeast Ra 1:10.06 9
8 Jordan Williams JR Mount Tabor 1:10.13 12
Girls 1600 Run
Providence ended up with the top two spots in this race, and for a short while held the top two indoor times in the state (at least, until the Invitational Mile ran the next day). Gina Daniel continued to serve notice that she is a force to be reckoned with in the mid-distances this year, going straight to the front and then breaking away from the pack in the second half to win solidly. Grace Sullivan was able to stay in front of the main pack as it stretched out, pulling away from Becca Meshaw (West Johnson) on the final lap.
Girls 1600 Meter Run
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Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Gina Daniel SR Providence 5:16.78
2 Grace Sullivan SO Providence 5:23.41
3 Becca Meshaw JR West Johnsto 5:27.23
4 Angela Rose Delfino FR St. Mary's S 5:30.63
5 Doria Kosmala SR Watauga 5:31.95
6 Melanie Hussey FR Marvin Ridge 5:35.18
7 Amelia Martin JR Unattached 5:35.69
8 Jaleigh Jensen JR Pinecrest 5:40.65
Boys 1600 Run
Wyatt Maxey (Providence), perhaps saving his legs a bit for two races on Saturday, seemed content with a conservative start and gradually moved up over the first half of the race. He then took off through the last 800, putting a large gap on the rest of the field before seeming to dial it back just a bit at the end. Ben Sessions (Greenville Tech Charter SC) won a duel with Jake Betancourt (West Johnston) to earn the silver medal.
Boys 1600 Meter Run
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Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Wyatt Maxey JR Providence 4:34.01
2 Benjamin Sessions SR Palmetto Eli 4:38.83
3 Jake Betancourt SR West Johnsto 4:40.08
4 Becket Killiam SR Pinecrest 4:42.04
5 Josh Mosteller SR North Lincol 4:42.38
6 Jacob Troutman SR Pinecrest 4:43.32
7 Dean Abushouk SO Cary 4:43.81
8 Brian Callinan JR Marvin Ridge 4:47.09
Girls Pole Vault
Once again, the top vaulters looked great up until 11 feet, when they began to lose their rhythm (this seems to be a pattern at the JDL this season). Kristen Lee (Wakefield) was soaring over the lower heights, but struggled with her steps late in route to an 11' 6" final mark and a gold medal. Perhaps it is the fast Mondo surface of the runway? In any case, the door was open for Brooke Shelton (Ledford) to take advantage, but she was unable to capitalize, clearing 11 feet for second place.
Girls Pole Vault
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State Record: S 12-01 2007 Joanna Wright, R.J. Reynolds
Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Kristen Lee SR Wakefield 11-06.00 3.50m
2 Brooke Shelton SR Unattached 11-00.00 3.35m
3 Tess Rogers SR North Stokes 10-00.00 3.04m
3 Taylor Drummonds SR Watauga 10-00.00 3.04m
5 Alison Seramur JR Watauga 9-00.00 2.74m
5 Liz Wood JR Cuthbertson 9-00.00 2.74m
5 Mariel Finger JR North Gaston 9-00.00 2.74m
8 Sofia San Miguel SO Cardinal Gib 8-06.00 2.59m
8 Madelyn Dotson JR Marvin Ridge 8-06.00 2.59m
Boys High Jump
This was an interesting competition to watch, although it did not produce any great marks at the top end. Several of the jumpers had misses at lower heights, but eventually Myles Lazarou (Northern Guilford, competing unattached) caught his rhythm and outjumped the contenders, edging Caleb Conwell (Wakefield) based on clearing 6' 4" on an earlier attempt. Hunter Conley (Landrum SC) equaled his PR with a jump of 6' 2", good for third place.
Boys High Jump
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State Record: S 7-00 2002 Jesse Williams, Raleigh Broughton
Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Myles Lazarou JR Unattached 6-04.00 1.93m
2 Caleb Conwell SR Wakefield 6-04.00 1.93m
3 Hunter Conley SR Unattached 6-02.00 1.87m
4 Darion Elmore SR Unattached 6-00.00 1.82m
5 Jamie Brown SO Knightdale 6-00.00 1.82m
6 Bret Reynolds SO Mount Tabor 5-08.00 1.72m
7 Jeremiah Mann SR Western Guil 5-08.00 1.72m
8 Ronald Cambell SO Marvin Ridge 5-08.00 1.72m
Girls 4x200
The Wakefield girls dropped almost 3 full seconds from their previous season best, pushing hard through smooth handoffs to put up a US #4 time of 1:43.43. The Wolverines got a good race from the Velocity Striders girls, who don't all go to the same school and therefore are not eligible for a national ranking. Wakefield showed off their depth by finishing third with their B team, which contained 2 freshman and a sophomore.
Girls 4x200 Meter Relay
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School Finals Points
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1 Wakefield 'A' 1:43.43
1) Jemay Ward SO 2) Tyra Lea JR
3) Breanne Bygrave FR 4) Jasmine Moore JR
2 Velocity Striders 'A' 1:44.85
1) Kaitlin Lucius SR 2) Brianna Turner SR
3) Kayla Tyson SR 4) Ashlan Rosier SR
3 Wakefield 'B' x1:50.47
1) Erikah Lawson FR 2) Jordan Lawson SR
3) Destiny Robinson FR 4) Dasia Sanders SO
4 Mount Tabor 'A' 1:50.70
1) Lanetia Mack SR 2) Gustell Preston SR
3) Miranda Tyson SR 4) Katerra Logan SR
5 Peak Performance Track Club 'A' 1:52.67
1) Marissa Pinckney SR 2) Sydnee Caroll SR
3) Shatasha Anderson SR 4) Tianna Nkanata SR
Boys 4x200
This race provided a fitting ending to the first day of competition, going down to the wire before the Velocity Striders won by only 0.07 seconds over Knightdale. Their time of 1:31.83 would be US #7 if they all attended the same school, while Knightdale will be ranked 8th in the country for their efforts. Phillip O. Berry, running in the slower section, showed that graduation did not completely empty their cupboard of sprint talent.
Boys 4x200 Meter Relay
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School Finals H# Points
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1 Velocity Striders 'A' 1:31.83 2
1) Jeremy Harden SR 2) Darius Watkins SR
3) Elias Madrid SR 4) Ryan McCain SR
2 Knightdale 'A' 1:31.90 2
1) Marquavious Johnson JR 2) Henry Kiedy JR
3) Marcell Johnson JR 4) Bernard Freeman SR
3 Berry Academy 'A' 1:35.13 1
1) Michael Zimmerman SR 2)
3) Sam Murphy JR 4) Andre Williams JR
4 Harding University 'A' 1:37.65 1
1) Demarcus Jordan JR 2) Omari Houston JR
3) Knight Daquan SO 4) Anthony Couser SO
5 Platinum 'A' 1:37.86 2
1) Derrek Williams 2) Phillip Bryant
3) Brandon Carter 4) Justin Frazier
6 Wakefield 'A' 1:38.51 2
1) Jalen Buxton JR 2) Caleb Conwell SR
3) Tre Dunn JR 4) Marquis Howard SR
7 Velocity Striders 'B' x1:40.36 2
1) Isaac Hammond SR 2) Corey Hedgspeth SR
3) Christian King SR 4) Dontae Weaver SR
Saturday Highlights
Boys Pole Vault
In contrast to the girls' vaulters yesterday, Ethan Smith (Cedar Ridge) kept his rhythm all the way to his highest attempt, clearing a new PR of 15' 6" and getting at least one very close miss at 15' 9". Smith ranks third in the nation right now, and is well on the way to achieving his national ambitions (look for an upcoming Senior Spotlight). Jose San Miguel (Cardinal Gibbons) and Ian West (Fike) were the only other athletes to clear 13 feet, with San Miguel getting 13' 6" to go home with silver.
Boys Pole Vault
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State Record: S 16-06 2/9/2008 Scott Houston, Northwest Guilfo
Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Ethan Smith SR Cedar Ridge 15-06.00 4.72m
2 Jose San Miguel SR Cardinal Gib 13-06.00 4.11m
3 Ian West SO Fike 13-00.00 3.96m
4 Isaiah Henderson SR Maiden High 12-06.00 3.81m
5 Marshall Shank SO East Rowan 12-06.00 3.81m
6 Caleb Cranfield JR West Rowan 12-00.00 3.65m
7 Ronald Cambell SO Marvin Ridge 11-06.00 3.50m
8 Pierce Forgione JR Marvin Ridge 11-06.00 3.50m
Girls Long Jump
Ama-Selina Tchume (Southeast Raleigh) became the first North Carolina jumper to break the 18 foot mark this winter, earning her the 5th spot in the national rankings. Sabrina Moore (North Mecklenburg) held on to her #2 ranking in North Carolina, while Hannah Dunston (Knightdale) moved up to #4 in the state.
Girls Long Jump
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State Record: S 19-01.25 2/9/2008 Jacinda Evans, Southern Durham
Name Year School Finals Points
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1 Ama-Selina Tchume JR Southeast Ra 18-02.50 5.54m
2 Sabrina Moore SR North Meckle 17-06.25 5.34m
3 Hannah Dunston SO Knightdale 17-04.50 5.29m
4 Courtney Cefalo SO Ledford 16-10.50 5.14m
5 Tamilia Wright SO Williams 16-09.25 5.11m
6 Charity Shaw SR Southern Dur 16-08.00 5.08m
7 Courtney Crawford JR McMichael 16-07.00 5.05m
7 Imari McLean JR Hillside 16-07.00 5.05m
Boys Long Jump
Isaiah Moore (Cummings), already the national leader in this event, improved his best mark to 23' 10.5" and edged closer to the 24-foot barrier in the process. Diondre Butler (Jack Britt) almost joined him in the 23's, falling just a half-inch short, but he did earn a US #5 ranking for his trouble.
Boys Long Jump
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State Record: S 24-07.25 1997 Marcus O'Neal, Greensboro Dudley
Name Year School Finals Points
=================================================================================
1 Isaiah Moore JR Cummings 23-10.50 7.27m
2 Deondre Butler Fayetteville Fly 22-11.50 6.99m
3 Kimani Hoffman JR Knightdale 21-09.00 6.62m
4 Bernard Freeman SR Knightdale 21-04.75 6.52m
5 Raykwon Torrence JR West Rowan 21-01.50 6.43m
6 Chaz Hawkins SR Unattached 20-09.75 6.34m
7 Michael Zimmerman SR Berry Academ 20-08.50 6.31m
8 Caleb Conwell SR Wakefield 20-04.00 6.19m
Girls 300 Dash
Tyra Lea (Wakefield) made it clear from the start that this was her race, and she powered home with a PR of 39.84, good for US #4 this season. Tiana Patillo (Wakefield) moved up to US #9 with her second-place effort, while Jasmine Dawson (West Johnston) established herself as a potential state finalist with her third-place finish.
Girls 300 Meter Dash
==========================================================================
State Record: S 38.94 2006 Gabby Mayo, Southeast Raleigh
Name Year School Finals H# Points
==========================================================================
1 Tyra Lea JR Wakefield 39.84 11
2 Tiana Patillo SR Wakefield 40.63 11
3 Jasmine Dawson SR West Johnsto 41.21 10
4 Reneazia Collins JR Monroe 41.29 9
5 Rodaijah Faucette SR Cummings 41.29 11
6 Ama-Selina Tchume JR Southeast Ra 41.93 8
7 Kayla Tyson SR Velocity Str 42.01 11
8 Justice Briscoe SR Mallard Cree 42.07 9
Boys 300 Dash
Xavier Jones (Ragsdale) came back from a disappointing 500 to show his strength in this event, posting the seventh-fastest time in the nation after his battle with James Drummond (Lexington). Unfortunately, Drummond had run outside his lane along the way, and that meant Phillip Bryant (Northwest Guilford) took silver and Joshua Peoples (Howard County MD) earned the bronze.
Boys 300 Meter Dash
==========================================================================
State Record: S 34.62 2007 Trenton Guy, Jr., West Charlotte
Name Year School Finals H# Points
==========================================================================
1 Xavier Jones SR Ragsdale 35.32 14
2 Phillip Bryant SR Unattached 35.73 14
3 Joshua Peoples Unattached 36.06 14
4 David Yang SR Providence 36.64 14
5 Justin Titgen SO Marvin Ridge 36.64 12
6 Jalen Buxton JR Wakefield 36.70 11
7 Jordan Williams JR Mount Tabor 36.81 12
8 Deondre Butler Fayetteville Fly 36.90 7
Girls 3200 Run
This was a weird race from the start, as Arden Vessie (Corinth Holders) charged into the lead and the rest of the field just let her go. Bianca Bishop (Providence) and Emily Williams (Sullivan Central TN) found each other fairly early and stayed together throughout the race, while Gabby Merritt (Greensboro Day) laid back over the first mile. As the field strung out, Vessie came back to the rest of the runners and Merritt began to move forward, and as they moved around lapped traffic that led to a three-girl lead pack. Merritt made the first move to try to take the win, going around with 200 to go, but Williams responded and took the lead for good, closing out in 11:18.56. Merritt claimed the top spot in the North Carolina rankings, running 11:20.45 to hold off Bishop by 0.02 at the line.
Girls 3200 Meter Run
=======================================================================
State Record: S 10:48.48 1998 Sarah-Vance Goodman, TC Roberson
Name Year School Finals Points
=======================================================================
1 Emily Williams SR Unattached 11:18.56
2 Gabby Merritt SR Greensboro D 11:20.45
3 Bianca Bishop JR Providence 11:20.47
4 arden vessie SO Unattached 11:43.64
5 Grace Sullivan SO Providence 11:51.00
6 Madison Harman SR Watauga 11:54.86
7 Becca Meshaw JR West Johnsto 11:58.96
8 Amelia Martin JR Unattached 11:59.39
Boys 3200 Run
This was somewhat of a tactical race, as nobody really forced the pace from the front of the race. As the leaders thinned out over the course of the 16 lap race, Chris Kelly (Pinecrest) took over the lead, and he held off Ryan Shannon (North Lincoln) to claim the gold medal. Kelly's teammate Will Pearson fought off Jake Betancourt (West Johnston) to finish third.
Boys 3200 Meter Run
=======================================================================
State Record: S 9:14.71 2000 Ricky Brookshire, Watauga
Name Year School Finals Points
=======================================================================
1 Chris Kelly JR Pinecrest 9:56.49
2 Ryan Shannon JR North Lincol 9:58.99
3 Will Pearson SR Pinecrest 10:03.99
4 Jake Betancourt SR West Johnsto 10:04.00
5 Brandon King JR Mitchell 10:09.75
6 Mathew Harmody JR Pinecrest 10:13.46
7 Javier Bustos SR Pinecrest 10:14.85
8 Joe Sullivan SR Providence 10:15.50
Girls High Jump
With only a small field entered, this event was over in the blink of an eye if you weren't watching closely. Libby Florence (Cedar Ridge) struggled a bit at one of the intermediate heights, but then she cleared 5' 2" and 5'4" to earn the win, giving her three more attempts at her goal of 5' 6". That experience should pay off with a new PR soon! Meanwhile, Gustell Preston (Mount Tabor) fell just short of her season best of 5' 4", taking home a silver medal.
Girls High Jump
=================================================================================
State Record: S 5-10 1996 Adriane Sims, Fayetteville Byrd
Name Year School Finals Points
=================================================================================
1 Libby Florence SR Cedar Ridge 5-04.00 1.62m
2 Gustell Preston SR Mount Tabor 5-02.00 1.57m
3 Margaret Edwards SR Unattached 4-10.00 1.47m
3 Zasha Barrett SO Monroe 4-10.00 1.47m
5 Tia Robinson SO Wakefield 4-08.00 1.42m
5 Kristen Lee SR Wakefield 4-08.00 1.42m
Girls Shot Put
This might seem a bit redundant, but Bre'Anna Warren (Western Guilford) won again at the JDL, a pattern that she hopes to continue all the way through the 4A State Meet. Her throw this weekend was a little off of her US #5 mark from earlier this month, but she is showing solid consistency that should serve her well in the future. Sharmani Hall (Southeast Raleigh) threw 37' 11.75" for a new PR, and all signs point to her getting over 38 sooner rather than later. Jazmine Bowman (Sanderson) also came up with an all-time best, and you can bet that these two will look forward to competing against each other again.
Girls Shot Put
=================================================================================
State Record: S 48-11 2007 Kamorean Hayes, Harding
Name Year School Finals Points
=================================================================================
1 Breanna Warren SR Western Guil 41-01.75 12.54m
2 Sharmani Hall JR Southeast Ra 37-11.75 11.57m
3 Jaszmine Bowman SR Sanderson 37-09.25 11.51m
4 Sam Miller SR Ledford 34-11.25 10.64m
5 Sha'Lena Spikes JR Cummings 31-11.50 9.74m
6 Alexis Barnes SR Cedar Ridge 31-03.75 9.54m
7 Courtney Schepel JR Cuthbertson 30-04.75 9.26m
8 Aspen Marsh FR Davie County 27-11.00 8.50m
Girls 1000 Run
Gina Daniel (Providence) pulled away in the middle of the race to earn her second win of the weekend, posting the top indoor time in the state in the process. A very competitive second group saw Hana Ratcliffe (Durham School of the Arts) hold on for second, with Christina Nikolaou (Olympic) hard on her heels.
Girls 1000 Meter Run
=======================================================================
State Record: S 2:56.73 2002 Julia Lucus, Charlotte Myers Park
Name Year School Finals Points
=======================================================================
1 Gina Daniel SR Providence 3:05.60
2 Hana Ratcliffe JR Durham Schoo 3:12.07
3 Christina Nikolaou SO Olympic 3:12.47
4 Alden Kessenich JR Marvin Ridge 3:13.79
5 Charity Lackey SR Southeast Ra 3:14.95
6 Angela Rose Delfino FR St. Mary's S 3:15.14
7 Reagan Portelance FR Lake Norman 3:17.13
8 Melanie Hussey FR Marvin Ridge 3:18.15
Boys 1000 Run
Steve Stowe (North Forsyth) took the early lead, with Wyatt Maxey (Providence) laying back a little bit until the last few laps. When Maxey challenged, Stowe responded, and the two were shoulder-to-shoulder all the way down the home stretch before the Providence junior edged in front at the line. Andrew Fea (North Lincoln) emerged from a crowded second pack to take home the bronze medal.
Boys 1000 Meter Run
=======================================================================
State Record: S 2:29.03 2/9/2008 Dylan Ferris, East Forsyth
Name Year School Finals Points
=======================================================================
1 Wyatt Maxey JR Providence 2:39.02
2 Steve Stowe JR North Forsyt 2:39.06
3 Andrew Fea JR North Lincol 2:44.19
4 James Branch SR Southeast Ra 2:44.69
5 Abel Tecle SR Cary 2:45.70
6 Becket Killiam SR Pinecrest 2:46.65
7 Alec Lane SR Marvin Ridge 2:46.72
8 Grayson Boatright JR Unattached 2:47.44
Girls 4x400
One similarity between the girls' and boys' 4x4's: in both cases, the top school actually claimed first and second place. Another similarity: the first-place time was one of the top five in the country. Wakefield's A team pushed themselves to a 3:57.49, which was US #1 until a New York team ran 3:56 later Saturday night at the Armory. Their B team also ran an essentially solo race, coming through with a 4:09 that would rank fourth in the state (and the listed runners were all 9th- and 10th-graders). Peak Performance, a club team from South Carolina, finished a distant third.
Girls 4x400 Meter Relay
==========================================================================
State Record: S 4:02.70 1999 Char. Independence
S. Porter, L. Collins, C, Love, J. Johnson
School Finals H# Points
==========================================================================
1 Wakefield 'A' 3:57.49S 2
1) Jemay Ward SO 2) Tyra Lea JR
3) Dejah Jones JR 4) Tiana Patillo SR
2 Wakefield 'B' x4:09.69 2
1) Destiny Robinson FR 2) Tia Robinson SO
3) Dasia Sanders SO 4) Leona Medley FR
3 Peak Performance Track Club 'A' 4:22.68 1
1) Sydnee Caroll SR 2) Tianna Nkanata SR
3) Marissa Pinckney SR 4) Shelia Austin SR
4 Marvin Ridge 'A' 4:23.22 2
1) Delaney Dunkley JR 2) Kacie Hicks JR
3) Kathleen Maher JR 4) Kayla Lugibihl JR
5 North Mecklenburg 'A' 4:33.88 1
1) Jenna Parker SR 2) Maggie Li JR
3) Kendi Phifer FR 4) Jhatanah Thomas JR
6 Butler 'A' 4:35.02 1
1) Felicia McCarthy SR 2) Krystal Rivers JR
3) Anna Moody FR 4) Katelyn Lliso SR
7 Pinecrest 'A' 4:36.16 2
Boys 4x400
This started out as an all-Knightdale affair, with their A and B teams having the top two seeds, but it was clear early that the A squad would have to push themselves. This they did, pulling away by 12 seconds to run a US #4 time of 3:24.67. The Knightdale second string was able to run fast enough to take second over Southeast Raleigh, who had run their race from the slower section.
Boys 4x400 Meter Relay
==========================================================================
State Record: S 3:25.54 2006 New Bern
K. Williams, D. Reynolds, E. Armstrong, A. Hendrex
School Finals H# Points
==========================================================================
1 Knightdale 'A' 3:24.67S 2
1) Marquavious Johnson JR 2) Marcell Johnson JR
3) Henry Kiedy JR 4) Kimani Hoffman JR
2 Knightdale 'B' x3:36.95 2
1) Andonis Williams SR 2) Bernard Freeman SR
3) Corey Aikens JR 4) Rashie Jacobs SR
3 Southeast Raleigh 'A' 3:38.35 1
1) Brian Ananaba SO 2) Sandy Chapman SR
3) Dante Jones SR 4) Chadwick Massenburg SO
4 Marvin Ridge 'A' 3:40.57 1
1) Kendon Corbett SR 2) Alec Lane SR
3) Justin Titgen SO 4) Carter Pennington SR
5 Harding University 'A' 3:42.50 2
1) Stephen Spearmon, jr JR 2) Britain King JR
3) Elvin Eddy SR 4) Ne'Juan Johnston JR
6 Platinum 'A' 3:42.64 2
1) Derrek Williams 2) Phillip Bryant
3) Brandon Carter 4) Justin Frazier
7 Polk County 'A' 3:43.01 1
1) Matthew Darden JR 2) Jacob Collins JR
3) Jordan Brown SR 4) Mason Umlauf SR
8 Butler 'A' 4:02.40 1
1) Trevor Edwards SR 2) NyJuan Williams SO
3) Shavare Stitt FR 4) Chuka Soronnagi SO