NC track: Mountain Island, Millbrook boys, Olympic girls win state championships
Three Observer-area teams won N.C. track state championships Saturday in Greensboro.
In 4A, the Olympic High girls and Millbrook boys captured state titles. In 1A, the Mountain Island Charter boys won the championship.
▪ In the 4A meet, Olympic girls won their first state title since 2000. Millbrook won its first-ever title.
Olympic won one event, the 1,600-meter relay. The Trojans’ 1,600 team of T’Sheylah Moore, Terri Gaston, Zyra Shivers and Mia Gardner also finished second in the 800-meter relay, just behind rival Harding.
Harding HIgh’s Akala Garrett, who gave up a potential shot at the US Olympic Trials to chase a state title, was named girls most outstanding performer. Garrett won the 100-meters and 300-meters hudles. She also ran on Harding’s 800-relay team.
There were three new all-classification state records set: Cardinal Gibbons’ Shawnti Jackson ran 23.06 in the 200, breaking the old mark of 23.51 set by Southeast Raleigh’s Gabby Mayo 15 years ago. Jackson also won the 100-meters and ran on the winning 400-meter relay team.
West Meck’s Sanu Jallow ran 2:07.78 to set a new mark in the 800, breaking a five-year-old mark (2:08.51). The third record came from Lake Norman’s Maddie Huecker in the 1,600. Her time of 4:50.36 broke a 9-year-old record (4:51.54) set by Millbrook’s Samantha George.
▪ Millbrook won the boys event by two points (53-51) over Mallard Creek.
Millbrook athletes won three events: Graham Aitken, Harrison Enyeart, Joshua Navarro and Matthew Rapp won the 3,200-meter relay. And Millbrook also got state championship runs from Dillon Leacock and Caleb Stephens. Leacock won the 300 hurdles. Stephens won the triple jump.
Leacock was selected as boys Most Outstanding Performer. He finished second in the 110 hurdles.
OBSERVER/NEWS & OBSERVER AREA WINNERS
GIRLS
Shawnti Jackson, Cardinal Gibbons, 100, 200
Jillian Weidner, Wake Forest, 100-meter, 200-meter wheelchair
Sanu Jallow, West Meck, 800
Maddie Hueckner, Lake Norman, 1600
Mary Bonner Dalton, Myers Park, 3,200
Cardinal Gibbons 400 relay (Hailey Juhasz, Ellie Bowman, Taylor McKinnon, Shawnti Jackson
Akala Garrett, Harding, 100, 300 hurdles
Harding 800 relay (Sanai Forte, Naiobi White, Akala Garrett, Queen Burnett)
Olympic 1,600 relay (T’Sheylah Moore, Terri Gaston, Mia Gardner, Zyra Shivers)
Amber Jackson, Ardrey Kell, high jump
Maddie Davies, Athens Drive, pole vault
Autumn Judd, Southeast Raleigh, shot put
Macy Dulaney, Mallard Creek, discus
BOYS
Jamier Moten, Ardrey Kell
David Lampkin, Mallard Creek, 100
Maddon Muhammad, Myers Park, 800
Justin Hayes, Panther Creek, 1,600
Dillon Leacock, Millbrook, 300 hurdles
Mallard Creek 800 relay (Jarrel Guy, Demonte Furman, Benjamin Black, David Lampkin)
Jordan 1600 relay (Reginald Love, Jordan Polk, Blake Leary, Jordan Reece)
Millbrook 3,200 relay (Graham Aitken, Joshua Navarro, Harrison Enyeart, Matthew Rapp)
Caleb Stephens, Millbrook, triple jump
Graham Gutknecht, South Mecklneburg, pole vault
William Sistrunk, Mallard Creek, long jump
Brayden Radhuber, North Mecklenburg, discus
1A: Mountain Island rules boys final
Mountain Island Charter won the N.C. 1A state boys track championship Saturday. Swain County won the girls.
It was the first state title for the Mountain Island boys.
The Raptors won individual state titles in the 100, 200, 400, 400-relay and 800-replay.
Swain County won the girls 1A title but a Charlotte Observer-area star, Highland Tech’s Lauren Tolbert, was named MVP. She won the 400 and 800-meters and finished second in the 100 and she was third in the 200.
Observer/News & Observer-area champions
GIRLS
Lauren Tolbert, Highland Tech, 800, 400
Victoria Swepson, Research Triangle, 1,600
Briley Bickerstaff, Riverside, 3,200
Research Triangle 3,200 relay (Rachel Bowers, McCarty Hudson, Alison McKeithan, Victoria Swepson)
Taegan Lowder, North Stanly, triple jump
BOYS
Armonte Ferguson, Mountain Island Charter, 100
Trae Nickelson, Mountain Island Charter, 200
Giovanni Bernard, Mountain Island Charter, 400
Lukas Valley, Pine Lake Prep, 300 hurdles
Mountain Island Charter 400 relay (Trae Nickelson, Reginald Taylor, Jonavon Fisher, Armonte Ferguson)
Mountain Island 800 relay (Trae Nickelson, Reginald Taylor, Jonavon Fisher, Caleb Patton)
Lincoln Charter 3,200 relay (Patrick Rice, Cutter Law, Brandon Wright, Matthew Radin)
Kendrell Goodes, North Rowan, high jump
Tyquan Bunch, Riverside, long jump
Alie Currie, Albemarle, triple jump
NC State finals this weekend. Your preview
North Carolina’s high school track and field championships will be decided this weekend at N.C. A&T University, with several story lines to be decided:
▪ Can Wake County retain control of the 4A boys’ and girls’ team championships?
▪ Who will win the girls’ 100-meter hurdles title, in a matchup between a defending champion and a young standout with the state’s best time in the event?
▪ Can Weddington make it four in a row in the boys’ 3A team competition?
Activity opens at 9 a.m. Friday, with the 1A track and field championships, followed at 4 p.m. by the 4A meet.
On Saturday, the 2A championships are at 9 a.m., with the 3A competition following at 4 p.m.
Wake County has dominated in 4A the past two championships.
Panther Creek was girls’ team champion in 2018 and 2019, and the boys’ champions were Green Hope in 2018 and Cary two years ago. Last year’s meets were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One focus of attention in the 4A girls’ meet will be in the 100-meter hurdles.
Senior Taylor McKinnon of Cardinal Gibbons captured the event in 2019 as a sophomore. However, she will get a stiff challenge this year from Harding sophomore Akala Garrett. McKinnon’s top time this season has been 14.15 seconds, while Garrett has been clocked at 13.87.
Their event is scheduled for around 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Weddington’s bid for a fourth straight boys’ 3A title figures to get a strong challenge from schools like Cuthbertson, Kings Mountain and Chapel Hill.
The other defending champions are Parkland (3A girls); North Lincoln (2A boys); Cummings (2A girls); J.A. Holmes (1A boys); and Murphy (1A girls).
These Charlotte-area and Raleigh-area athletes enter the state meet with the top performances in their events so far this season:
Class 4A
Boys
Pole vault: Noah Rhodes (Fuquay-Varina); Long jump: Micah Larry (Rolesville); Triple jump: Eric Brown (Enloe).
100 meters: Micah Larry (Rolesville); 200 meters: David Lampkin III (Mallard Creek); 400 meters: Jamier Moton (Ardrey Kell); 300 hurdles: Dillon Leacock (Millbrook).
800 meters: Korey Pratt (Hillside); 1600 meters: Maddon Muhammad (Myers Park).
4x100 relay: Rolesville; 4x200 relay: Mallard Creek; 4x400 relay: Hillside.
Girls
Shot put: Autumn Judd (Southeast Raleigh); Discus: Macey Dulaney (Mallard Creek); High jump: Amber Jackson (Ardrey Kell); Pole vault: Maddie Davies (Athens Drive); Long jump: Lanyjah Gunter (Knightdale).
100 meters: Shawnti Jackson (Cardinal Gibbons); 200 meters: Jackson (Cardinal Gibbons); 100 hurdles: Akala Garrett (Harding); 300 hurdles: Garrett (Harding).
800 meters: Sanu Jallow (West Mecklenburg); 1600 meters: Maddie Huecker (Lake Norman); 3200 meters: Courtney Farishian (Cardinal Gibbons).
4x100 relay: Cardinal Gibbons; 4x200 relay: Harding; 4x400 relay: Olympic; 4x800 relay: Olympic.
Class 3A
Boys
Shot put: Luke Noonan (Piedmont); Discus: Denmar Chambers (Sun Valley); High jump: Kyzaiah Stone (Cleveland); Pole vault: Gordon Harwell (Chapel Hill); Long jump: Kam Tuttle (Weddington); Triple jump: Marcus Odoms (Kings Mountain).
1600 meters: Spencer Hampton (Orange).
4x100 relay: Cuthbertson; 4x200 relay: Cuthbertson; 4x400 relay: Cuthbertson.
Girls
Discus: Camryn Marsey (Ashbrook); Pole vault: Emma Stone (Marvin Ridge); Long jump: Chaunesse Barringer (Northwest Cabarrus); Triple jump: Jahaila Wright (Central Cabarrus).
400 meters: Ariana Daley (Clayton); 300 hurdles: Allison Payton (Stuart Cramer).
800 meters: Justine Preisano (Cuthbertson); 3200 meters: Emma Jones (Weddington)
4x400 relay: Weddington.
Class 2A
Boys
Discus: Noah Rooks (East Burke); Long jump: Rashad Lynch (R-S Central); Triple jump: Lynch.
100 meters: Blaise Atkinson (Lake Norman Charter); 110 hurdles: Atkinson (Lake Norman Charter); 300 hurdles: Arkinson (Lake Norman Charter).
800 meters: Miles Phillips (North Lincoln); 1600 meters: Grant Howlett (Lake Norman Charter); 3200 meters: Jacob Scott (North Lincoln).
Girls
High jump: Macy Miller (South Rowan).
200 meters: Joyaria Smith (R-S Central); 400 meters: Alaya Gillespie (West Iredell).
800 meters: Angie Allen (North Lincoln); 1600 meters: Allen (North Lincoln); 3200 meters: Katherine Hopkins (Lincolnton).
4x800 relay: North Lincoln.
Class 1A
Boys
High jump: Kendrell Goodes (North Rowan); Long jump: Aidan Myers (Franklin Academy); Triple jump: Bryant Keakanya (Princeton).
100 meters: Armonte Ferguson (Mountain Island Charter); 200 meters: Trae Nickelson (Mountain Island Charter); 400 meters: Giovanni Bernard (Mountain Island Charter); 110 hurdles: Tsion Delaney (North Rowan); 300 hurdles: Lukas Valley (Pine Lake Prep).
800 meters: Jacob Laughlin (Mountain Island Charter); 1600 meters: Aaron Rovnak (Franklin Academy); 3200 meters: Rovnak (Franklin Academy).
4x100 relay: Mountain Island Charter; 4x200 relay: Mountain Island Charter; 4x800 relay: Lincoln Charter.
Girls
High jump: Brook Connolly (Princeton).
100 meters: Machera Clark (Highland Tech); 400 meters: Lauren Tolbert (Highland Tech).
800 meters: Tolbert (Highland Tech); 3200 meters: Victoria Swepson (Research Triangle)
4x400 relay: Pine Lake Prep; 4x800 relay: Pine Lake Prep.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
This story was originally published June 25, 2021 at 11:28 AM.
