Wednesday, Feb. 01, 2012

Southeast girls, Knightdale boys rule

Southeast Raleigh's girls and Knightdale's boys ruled the day in the Greater Neuse River 4A Conference Winter Track Championships Wednesday at West Johnston High School.

The Bulldog girls defeated West Johnston 172-141, while the Knights won the boys' meet 165-162 over Southeast Raleigh.

Clayton was third in the girls (92 points) and the boys' meet (66 points).

Southeast's girls placed first in seven of 14 events and were second in six others. The only events where the Bulldogs didn't take first or second was the triple jump, the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200-meter run.

Amara Bell led Southeast with a pair of first-place finishes in the high jump (5 feet) and the long jump (16-02.5). Ama-Selina Tchume was first in the 55-meter dash (7.37), while Jacklyn Howell took first in the 300 dash (41.47) and Charity Lackey won the 1,000-meter run in 3:17.55.

Southeast also won both relays - the 1,600 (Alexus Gray, Tchume, Howell and Loyd) and the 3,200 (Lackey, Williams, Katey Greer and Loyd).

Earning seconds in individual events for the Bulldogs were Joy Pulley in the 55 dash and the high jump, Kaylie Loyd in the 1,000-meter run, Howell in the 55 hurdles, Brittney Williams in the 500-meter dash and Toffany Dunham in the shot put.

West Johnston was led by Dakota Foskey, who placed first in the 1,600 (5:36.55) and the 3,200 (12:30.36) and Eboni Robinson, who won the shot put with a throw of 30 feet, 1 inch. Jasmine Dawson was second in the 300, Scarlett Beamon took second in the 3,200 and the Wildcats' 3,200 relay team (Foskey, Becca Meshaw, Beamon and Lauren Pollard) was second. For Clayton, Mollie Williams captured the 55 hurdles (8.53) while Kristen Duncan (9 feet with fewer misses) won the pole vault crown over Valerie Davis of Smithfield-Selma. The Comets' 1,600-meter relay team (Tamia Mars, Williams, Hilary McFarland and Kennedy Thorne) placed second, as did Carmen Tormey in the 1,600-meter run.

Knightdale's Hannah Dunston won the 500-meter dash in 1:23.73, while Angel Spencer of Harnett Central won the triple jump (33-08).The Knightdale boys proved just as dominating as Southeast's girls, even though the team title was decided by just three points. The Knights took the top spot in eight events while the Bulldogs were first in three events and second in four others.

DaQuan Smalls led Knightdale with top finishes in the 55 dash (6.55) and the 300 (34.56). Travon Lynch won the shot put (40-1); Marquavious Johnson captured the 500 (1:05.55), Corey Aikens won the 1,000 (2:39.53) and Kimani Hoffman won the high jump (21-10.5).

The Knights were also first in the 1,600 relay at 3:20.64 (Henry Kiedy, Johnson, Myles White and Smalls) and the 3,200 relay at 8:15.06 (White, Kiedy, Jalen Scott and Aikens). Earning seconds for the Knights were Hoffman in the 300, Kiedy in the 500, Michael Abram in the high jump and Joseph Horton in the long jump.

Southeast Raleigh was led by Jaylon Holt's first-place finishes in the high jump (6-04 with fewer misses) and the triple jump (46-01).

Sandy Chapman won the 55 hurdles (8.0).

Finishing second for the Bulldogs were Robert Williams in the 1,000, David Onyiego in the shot put, the 1,600 relay team (Terrell Richardson, Ramel Tedder, James Branch and Jamaree Murray) and the 3,200 relay squad (Williams, Branch, Tedder and Murray).

West Johnston's Jeremy Gower took top honors in the 1,600 (4:44.31) and the 3,200 (10:16.85) while Xavier Carter was second in the 55 hurdles.

Garner's top finisher was Theodore Brown in the triple jump (43-07.5).