November 1998

Congratulations to Greg Yeldell (North Rowan HS in Spencer) for being named High School Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News. Yeldell broke a 9-year-old National High School Record with a Triple Jump of 53-11 1/4 to capture the bronze medal at the World Junior Outdoor Championships. He also had the second best indoor triple jump in high school history last season.

Yeldell won the following meets in the triple jump:
USATF Outdoor Junior Nationals
National Scholastics Indoor Championships
National Scholastics Outdoor Championships
Simplott Indoor Games in Pocatello, Idaho
Golden West Outdoor meet in California
N.C. Indoor State Championships
N.C. 2-A Outdoor State Championships

Besides being ranked No. 1 in the triple jump indoors and outdoors, he was also ranked in the top 10 in the long jump indoors and outdoors.
He is the first T&FN HS Athlete of The Year from NC since Greg Artis in 1977. Artis went to Wilson Fike HS and was a 3-time state champion, winning the triple twice in 1976 (48-6) and 1977 (51-5.5) and the long jump in 1977 (24-8). Artis still holds the 4A state meet record in the triple jump.

More on Greg Yeldell

North Carolina athletes who were ranked (by performance) in the top 25 nationally in their event were:

BOYS
800: Durham Academy's Steven Edwards, 15th (1:52.3)

1600: Bradsher Wilkins of Hillsborough Orange, 10th (4:10.35 for 1-mile).

Long Jump: NC had 3 of the nation's top 9:
William Montgomery (TC Roberson) was 3rd (24-11)
Greg Yeldell 5th (24-7 indoors)
Jamorya Funderburk (North Mecklenburg) 9th (24-5)

Yeldell was tops in the Triple Jump by over two feet.

GIRLS
200 and 400: Fayetteville Terry Sanford's Demetria Washington was 5th (53.65) in the 400, and 24th in the 200 (24.19).

3200: Sarah-Vance Goodman (TC Roberson) was 8th (10:27.24 for 2-miles, indoors).

100m Hurdles: Sophomore Latasha Pharr (North Rowan) was tied for 7th (13.88).

Long Jump: Kim Jones, a junior at Greensboro Grimsley was 3rd (19-11.5).

Triple Jump: Ronda White, a sophomore at Charlotte Olympic, was tied for 25th (39-8 indoors).