(Posted Oct 31, 2022)
Track & Field News has released their 2022 High School All-America Teams. The magazine has named these teams for Boys (48 years), and Girls (44 years).

Among the athletes from NC selected for 2022 are: juniors Shawnti Jackson (Raleigh Wakefield), Rocky Hansen (Arden Christ School), Akala Garrett (Charlotte Harding), Cheyla Scott (Matthews Butler), Kaylyn Brown (Charlotte Mallard Creek), and seniors JaMeesia Ford (Fayetteville Britt), Falon Spearman (Charlotte Providence Day), and Waxhaw Cuthberson's 4x800.

T&FN High School All-America Teams: Boys | Girls

Note: Links above may be behind a paywall.

I have been a subscriber to T&FN since 1966, and don't recall EVER seeing so many North Carolina high school athletes mentioned. (Especially the girls.) Their coaches also deserve mention & thanks.

(Posted July 20, 2022)
I was saddened to learn this past Saturday that an old teammate and friend, Doug McElroy, died of COVID in January, just days after his wife died from COVID. He was 72. Doug was 9th in the State Cross Country Championships (all-classification) as a junior in 1965 as North Mecklenburg's #2 runner, helping North Meck to the Team Championship.

As a senior, he was 4th in the 1966 Championships. Doug also placed 3rd in the Mile at the State Track Championships as a junior in 1966.

Doug and I were teammates at AppState my freshman year. That was the final year that Appalachian was NAIA before changing to NCAA and seniors Doug McElroy and Gary Church and I qualified for the 1970 NAIA National Cross Country Championships in Independence, Missouri. I have fond memories of the three of us flying to Kansas City and enjoying that trip and the race.

Doug was sort of a mentor to me that freshman year, a fun teammate to hang out with, great on the piano, and quite an entertaining storyteller.

More on Doug McElroy

(Posted July 10, 2022)
Vincent Crisp (North Mecklenburg HS/Texas Tech/Under Armour) won the 800 in a PR of 1:45.03 at the Sunset Tour #1 Meet in Eagle Rock, California July 2nd.

Photo - TrackAndFieldNews.com (May require a subscription)

(Posted July 3, 2022)
Most track fans in this state are aware of two winning performances by NC high school juniors at the USATF Junior (Under-20) Championships in Eugene, Oregon June 23-25:

Charlotte Harding's Akala Garrett in the 400m Hurdles (57.47), and Raleigh Wakefield's Shawnti Jackson in the 100 with a windy (+2.7) 11.07 -- which is the 2022 all-conditions HSL (High School Leader), and puts her #4 on the all-time all-conditions US High School List.

And Matthews Butler HS junior Cheyla Scott was 3rd in the High Jump (5-11.75) and Charlotte Mallard Creek junior Kaylyn Brown placed 3rd in the 400 with a PR of 53.11.

Besides these rising seniors, a couple of alumni of NC high schools also performed well in the championships and deserve mention:

Freshman Jack Dingman (Northern Guilford HS/East Carolina University) placed 3rd in the 1500 in a time of 3:48.75 - 3rd fastest in ECU history.

Another ECU freshman Madeline Hill (Waxhaw Cuthbertson HS/East Carolina University) was 6th in the 3000 (10:19.04). She was also 7th in the 5000 (17:05.13).

Pirate Duo Succeeds At USATF U20 Championships - ECUpirates.com

Complete Results: 2022 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships

(Posted May 9, 2022)
Green Hope HS/NC State grad Elly Henes ran a 5000m PR of 15:07.93 finishing 7th at The Track Meet, Friday May 6th in San Juan Capistrano, California. Henes, now competing for adidas, had to run the final 6 laps with only one shoe. The winning time was 15:05.22.

Meet Recap - DyeStat | Results/Story - TrackAndFieldNews.com

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Keni Harrison (Clayton HS/University of Kentucky) won the 100m Hurdles in 12.76 (-0.1) at the Tokyo CT meet in Japan May 8th.

Meet Recap - Olympics.com | Results - WorldAthletics.org | CT Info - WorldAthletics.org

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At the Tennessee Challenge in Knoxville May 7th, Veronica Fraley (Raleigh Wakefield HS/Clemson/unatached) was 2nd in the Discus with a throw of 191-0 (58.23).

Results - AdkinsTrak.com

(Posted Jan. 30, 2022)
Saturday (1/29) at the Mondo Elite Invitational (JDL Fast Track, Winston-Salem), Waxhaw Cuthbertson HS became the first North Carolina school to have FIVE girls in history to break 5:00 in the 1600 meters. (Times were converted from a Mile race).

And this goes for both indoors as well as outdoors!

Check out NCPrepTrack's All-Time and All-Time Indoor pages for the Girls 1600 lists.

Cuthbertson is also impressive on the 1000 List