North Carolinians Enjoy A Big Haul At NBNO

By Mary Albl of DyeStat 

GREENSBORO -- The final day of the New Balance Nationals Outdoor turned into a Sunday Showcase of the best of the best from the home state of North Carolina. 

From a meet record in the girls high jump by Morgan Smalls, a sweep in the 400 meters, and a relay win, the local kids put on a show at North Carolina A&T University on a warm, sunny afternoon to conclude the four-day meet.  

PHOTOS by John Nepolitan | VIDEO COVERAGE

The home state collected four championship wins Sunday afternoon and two of them were meet records.

"I definitely had to defend my territory," said freshman Kayla Davis, who is from Charlotte. 

Davis, a 15-year-old rising sophomore, stole the spotlight from 600-meter indoor American record holder Athing Mu of Trenton, N.J. in the girls 400-meter dash, as she won the event in 51.17. That's a world age-group best, the fastest ever by a U.S. prep freshman or sophomore, and No. 7 all-time.

"My game plan was to get out, make sure I maintained a pace that was comfortable for me," Davis said. "The main thing was to make sure not to run anybody else's race but mine." 

Davis was able to stick with her plan, as Mu took out the race a little faster than she would have liked. Davis was able to surge past her in the final 100 meters. Mu, who was coming off a 2:01.38 in the 800 at the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville, Tenn., finished in second place in 51.98. She said she came to Nationals in North Carolina because of the competition. 

"I knew this was where the most competition would have been for the 400," Mu said.  "I just wanted to come here and get the best competition ever." 

Aaliyah Butler of Sunrise FL finished in fifth place in 52.87, as she joined Davis as the only other freshman to gain All-American status in the event. 

"It's amazing because she makes me go faster," Butler said of having Davis to compete against. 

In the boys 400, senior Randolph Ross of Garner NC, won the event in 46.80. He'll compete for North Carolina A&T University this coming fall. His dad, Duane Ross, is the Director of the Track and Field for the Aggies. DUANE ROSS INTERVIEW 

"I practice here a lot, it kind of felt like my own practice track," he said. "It wasn't anything I wasn't used to." 

In the field, Morgan Smalls of Panther Creek High in Cary, broke a meet record in the high jump, clearing 6-2.25. In March, Smalls won the indoor high jump title, and she now owns both the indoor and outdoor national meet records.

 "I've been getting back in the groove of jumping again," said Smalls, who hadn't cleared six feet once all spring. "The competition really helps coming out here, to be able to jump against some of the best high jumpers in the country."

Smalls went out after taking three solid attempts at 6-3.50. She also added a sixth-place finish in the triple jump on Saturday, soaring 41-5. And she was 14th in the long jump.

Also on the track Sunday, Southeast Raleigh of North Carolina won the girls 4x100 relay crown with 45.79.  Running as Bulldog TC, the quartet of Sierra Fletcher, Jahzara Hart, Ani Judd and Kyna Robinson edged out Lakota East of Ohio by 0.01 seconds.