Mallard Creek boys, Cardinal Gibbons girls win NCHSAA indoor track championships
.jpeg)
Mallard Creek’s boys won their first NCHSAA 4A indoor track state championship Saturday, and Raleigh’s Cardinal Gibbons won its first girls’ 4A title.
Gibbons won the 1A/2A/3A state title in 2011.
Gibbons got a big boost from its 3,200-meter relay team of Maggie Whitha, Addy Mitchell, Hannah Rae Shaffer and Kaitlyn Estep. That group won by more than 10 seconds. Estep also won the 1,000 meters.
Gibbons’ Tessa Kranick tied for first place in the pole vault.
Shaffer, a North Carolina recruit, won the 3,200 (10:36.07) to earn her first indoor individual state title after finishing second in the event each of the last two years. She was second in the 1,600..
“I was not expecting to be in first through the first couple of laps. I was kind of expecting more switching off with the lead,” Shaffer said. “I feel like I really, really hammered that second mile, which is my goal in each 3200.”
Gibbons and Shaffer ended Cuthbertson’s run of seven straight state titles, not including the shortened COVID season. The Cavaliers finished second.
“Hopefully, this is a suitable wedding gift for them,” said Cardinal Gibbons coach Nick Mangum, who assumed the reins for Crusaders’ head coach Barbara Pierre and assistant coach Ramon Gittens, who were married Saturday in Barbados.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg girls’ runners and teams, like Cardinal Gibbons of Raleigh, had strong days:
Palisades won the 1,600 relay (Sky Bleu Tyson, Marlee Moore, Kira Whitmore, Gwendolyn Gaffney) in 3:59.44. Garinger’s Asia Artis won the high jump.
Independence’s Maya Love was named MVP of the girls’ event, after she won the 55 meters, the 300 and ran the first leg of the Patriots’ winning 800-meter relay team.
“It messes with my mind, every time I race,” Love said. “I had to fight through, and it all worked out.”
On the boys’ side, Hopewell’s London Myles won the triple jump, and was one of three individual winners from Mecklenburg County. The other two were from the state championship-winners from Mallard Creek.
The Mavericks’ dominant win was powered by its performance in the relays. Mason Kelly, Khalil Price, Christian Dixon and Nassor Ashenafi won the 800 relay. Nyan Brown, Price, Justin Watts and Kelly won the 1,600 relay. Mallard Creek finished second in the 3,200 relay to Marvin Ridge.
Mallard Creek got individual wins from Dixon in the 55 meters and Brown in the 55 hurdles.
Observer-area boys’ champions
▪ Christian Dixon, Mallard Creek (4A, 55 meters)
▪ Kyle Barney, Marvin Ridge (4A, 1,000 meters)
▪ Nyan Brown, Mallard Creek (4A, 55 hurdles)
▪ Mallard Creek 800, 1,600 relay (4A)
▪ Marvin Ridge 3,200 relay (4A)
▪ Tommy Pringle II, Cuthbertson (4A, high jump)
▪ London Myles, Hopewell (4A, triple jump)
▪ Cameron Tucker, JM Robinson (3A, 55 meters)
▪ Statesville 800 relay (3A)
Observer-area girls’ champions
▪ Maya Love, Independence (55, 300 meters, 4A)
▪ Independence 800 relay (4A)
▪ Palisades 1,600 relay (4A)
▪ Asia Artis, Garinger (4A, high jump)
▪ Ashynn Wimberly, Mallard Creek (4A, triple jump)
▪ Natalie Brown, Weddington (4A, shot put)
▪ Olivia Ferraro, North Lincoln (1,000, 1,600 meters, 3A)
▪ Blythe Jaworsky, North Lincoln (3A, pole vault)
Complete meet results
This story was originally published February 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM.