Mallard Creek sweeps boys’, girls’ 8A indoor state track championships
Mallard Creek pulled off a sweep of the Class 8A indoor track and field state championships Thursday.
The Mavericks ran away with the girls’ state crown, outdistancing runner-up Myers Park, 81.5-49. It was the second straight indoor championship for Mallard Creek.
The Mavericks’ boys had a tougher time, edging second-place Jordan of Durham, 55-46.
Pinecrest distance runner Alessia Potts and Jordan shot put specialist Xavier Perkins were named Outstanding Performers of the 8A meet, the finale of the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s six indoor state meets at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem.
It was the first state championship in indoor track and field for Mallard Creek’s boys, but the second for the girls’ program. The Mavericks won the girls’ championship last season too.
Mallard Creek’s girls had three champions — Bella-Marie Black in the 55 meters; Jaliyah Hunter in the 55 hurdles; and triple-jumper Ariyanna Battle.
Mason Kelly won the 55 and 300 meter races for the Mavericks, and teammate Dorian Dailey captured the long jump.
Teams from the Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham areas took 17 of the top 20 spots in the boys’ team standings and 18 of 20 in the girls’ competition.
BOYS
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Mallard Creek 55; 2. Jordan 46; 3. (tie) Panther Creek, Green Hope 37; 5. Enloe 33.
6. Leesville Road; 8. Willow Spring; 9. Myers Park; 10. (tie) Broughton, Palisades; 12. Millbrook; 14. Apex Friendship; 15. Ardrey Kell; 16. Athens Drive; 17. (tie) South Mecklenburg, Green Level; 20. Hough.
EVENT WINNERS
(with top-five finishers from Charlotte and Raleigh areas)
55-meter dash
1. Mason Kelley (Mallard Creek), 6.41; 2. Justin Stevenson (Palisades); 4. Khylies Rodriguez (Ardrey Kell); 5. Bryce Poinder (Palisades).
300 meters
1. Mason Kelley (Mallard Creek), 32.88; 3. Jayden Lee Perry (Leesville Road); 4. Ethan Roesch (South Mecklenburg).
500 meters
1. Liam Kinken (South Mecklenburg), 1:01.17; 2. Drew Johnson (Hough); 3. Micah Joy (East Mecklenburg); 4. Tyson Hardy (Green Hope); 5. Ross Moore (West Charlotte).
1,000 meters
1. Joshua Cooper (Willow Spring), 2:27.28; 2. William Clark (Myers Park); 3. Andrew Leary (Green Hope); 4. Gabriel Cardenas (Green Hope).
1,600 meters
1. James Freeman (Myers Park),4:06.30; 2. Sawyer Lisk (Leesville Road); 3. Cam Kuss (Broughton); 4. Evan Rounds (Panther Creek); 5. Tyler Burke (Broughton).
3,200 meters
1. Sawyer Lisk (Leesville Road), 9:17.41; 2. Charles Slawinski (Broughton); 3. Christopher Burns (Myers Park); 4. Cam Kuss (Broughton); 5. Mohammed Mohammed (Green Level).
55-meter hurdles
1. Jaleel Griffin (Jordan), 7.34; 2. Nyon Brown (Mallard Creek); 3. Roderick Orr (Mallard Creek).
4-by-200 relay
1. Ardrey Kell, 1:29; 2. Wakefield; 3. Chambers; 4. Panther Creek.
4-by-400 relay
1. Panther Creek, 3:22.13; 2. Millbrook; 4. Green Hope; 5. Hough.
4-by-800 relay
1. Millbrook, 7:51.25; 2. Willow Spring; 3. Panther Creek; 4. Green Hope; 5. Apex Friendship.
High jump
1. Chase Hunter (Jordan), 6-10; 2. Moktar Lemine (Panther Creek); 3. Alexander Chapman-Evans (Enloe); 4. Michael Hamilton (Millbrook); 5. Tyshaun Couch (Jordan).
Long jump
1. Dorian Dailey (Mallard Creek), 23-4.5; 2. Alexander Chapman-Evans (Enloe); 3. Brian Hope (Enloe); 5. Kylar Crawford (Palisades).
Triple jump
1. Alexander Chapman-Evans (Enloe), 49-10.5; 3. Bertrand Cophy (Palisades); 4. Dorian Dailey (Mallard Creek); 5. Zachary Prioleau (Mallard Creek).
Pole vault
1. James Witt (Athens Drive), 15-9; 2. Carter Snapp (Willow Spring); 3. (tie) Silas Minh (Apex Friendship), Logan Trameline (Apex); 5. (tie) Will Martinbeau (Providence), Alex Robinson (Green Hope), Charles Truitt (Green Level).
Shot put
1. Xavier Perkins (Jordan), 53-8.5; 2. Kyle Richards (Green Hope); 3. Malaki Barns (Corinth Holders); 4. Maxwell Colin (Leesville Road); 5. Mason Jones (Jordan).
GIRLS
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Mallard Creek 81.5; 2. Myers Park 49; 3. Broughton 46; 4. Green Level 42; 5. Jordan 41.5.
7. Enloe; 8. Ardrey Kell. 9. Athens Drive; 10. Green Hope; 11. Apex Friendship; 12. Willow Spring; 13. Palisades; 14. Leesville Road; 16. South Mecklenburg; 17. (tie) Panther Creek, Apex; 19. Garinger.
EVENT WINNERS
(with top-five finishers from Charlotte and Raleigh areas)
55-meter dash
1. Bella-Marie Black (Mallard Creek), 6.90; 2. McKinley Griffith (Broughton); 3. Laila Ryadan (Mallard Creek); 4. Calla Lanik (Myers Park); 5. Trinity Baraino (Apex Friendship).
300 meters
1. Calla Lanik (Myers Park), 38.76; 2. Laila Ramadan (Mallard Creek); 3. Bella-Marie Black (Mallard Creek); 4. McKenzie Griffis (Broughton); 5. Shai Armbroise (South Mecklenburg).
500 meters
1. Ellis Beck (Green Hope), 1:14.11; 2. Lila Smith (Palisades); 3. Lauren Okonkwu (Enloe); 4. Alicia Okonkwu (Enloe); 5. Blake Lawrence-Johnson (Enloe).
1,000 meters
1. Alessia Potts (Pinecrest), 2:50.17; 2. Ella Anderson (Athens Drive); 3. Molly Barber (Myers Park); 4. Louisa Betz (Broughton); 5. Katie Willette (Myers Park).
1,600 meters
1. Alessia Potts (Pinecrest), 4:51.04; 3. Elizabeth Weitz (South Mecklenburg); 4. Naomi Greengrass (Green Level); 5. Ruth Metaferth (Leesville Road).
3,200 meters
1. Madeline Dorsch (Pinecrest), 10:44.20; 2. Sadiq Wortman (Green Level); Lauren Hagg (Athens Drive); 4. Naomi Greengrass (Green Level); 5. Grace Plastian (Apex)..
55-meter hurdles
1. Jaliyah Hunter (Mallard Creek), 8.06; 2. Sanisa Allen (Jordan); 3. Mia Lynshue (Mallard Creek); 4. Annalise Smartt (Myers Park).
4-by-200 relay
1. Mallard Creek 1:40.31; 2. Ardrey Kell; 3. Jordan;; 4. Wakefield; 6. Palisades.
4-by-400 relay
1. Enloe, 3:56;43; 2. Jordan; 3. Athens Drive; 4. Green Level; 5. Palisades.
4-by-800 relay
1. Green Level, 9:25.58; 2. Panther Creek; 3. Apex Friendship; 4. Myers Park; 5. Corinth Holders.
High jump
1. Alauna Rouse (Broughton), 5-6; 2. Asia Artis (Garinger); 3. Kendall Hampton (Willow Spring); 4. Molly Blankensler (Green Level)
Long jump
1. Annalise Smartt (Myers Park), 18-0; 2. Alauna Rouse (Broughton); 3. Shaila Hoke (Enloe); 4. Tessa Tinee (Ardrey Kell); 5. Micah Grady (East Mecklenburg).
Triple jump
1. Ariyanna Battle (Mallard Creek), 37-3; 2. Aria Andrews (Mallard Creek); 3. Cristina Scott-Ramos (Jordan); 4. Kendall Hampton (Willow Spring).
Pole vault
1. Isabella Palmquist (Broughton), 10-6; 2. Gwyneth Overton (Athens Drive); 3. Jomey Hightower (Ardrey Kell); 4. Alexandra Ingoglia (Ardrey Kell); 5. Lucia Gangrud (Ardrey Kell).
Shot put
1. Laila Jones (West Forsyth), 41.3; 2. Halle Gibson (Leesville Road); 3. Journie Williams (Willow Spring); 4. Heaven Mitchell (Enloe); 5. Sam Cowen (Green Hope).
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 4:35 PM.
