Bullis Goes Out On Top With 4x400 Relay Sweep

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The competition for Bullis didn’t stop with the conclusion of two dramatic wins in the 4x400-meter relay championships to conclude the marathon four-day New Balance Nationals Outdoor.

The next challenge was seeing who could sneak a Dixie cup of water close enough to coach Joe Lee to dump it on his head. And, whether the fastidious, details-minded coach could return the favor without being detected.

It was all in good fun, and an expression of celebration that followed a weekend of momentum-building, steely focus and maximum effort at the national high school track and field championships.

INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS | RESULTS | FATHER'S DAY GALLERY by Laura Duffy

North Carolina's Finest Shine On Sunday's Big Stage - by Mary Albl

Bullis won a total of five relay championships – two for the boys (Swedish SMR and 4x400) and three for the girls (Swedish SMR, shuttle hurdles and 4x400). Both groups were also second in the 4x200 as well.

It was the first 4x400 relay sweep by one school since Taylor and Sydney McLaughlin led Union Catholic NJ squads to the feat in 2015. Bullis also became the first program to sweep both Swedish SMR championships since Union Catholic in 2014.

“How proud? I don’t have any words to describe that,” Lee said. “We had a great meet and it really started out with, this is going to sound crazy, but not on the track, but the field, with Trinity Franklin, our freshman discus thrower and shot-putter.”

While many in the crowd may have been waiting for the first arrival of Bullis on the track, Franklin placed fourth in the freshman girls shot put and second in the discus.

For Lee, it was how the ball got rolling for a great weekend.

In March, injuries and mishaps prevented a dynamite showing for Bullis at the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet in New York. In April, at Penn Relays, the boys 4x400 relay team sat on the Franklin Field infield with blank expressions after falling short of its goals against the Jamaicans. The girls team that weekend was doing its best to hang in there without Shaniya Hall, one of the team’s top sprinters.

On Sunday, with most of the team reasonably healthy (although without the injured Jay Pendarvis Jr.), Bullis put everything together and executed.

The girls team of Sierra Leonard, Lauryn Harris, Leah Phillips and Hall beat DeSoto TX, making a rare appearance at NBNO, 3:39.62 to 3:39.93. Leonard was carted away by medical staff so she could recover from her exhaustion.

“There was a lot going on, but we just wanted to get out there and do it for each other,” Harris said. “We know the potential that we all have, and we didn’t want to let each other down.”

Hall came back slowly and steadily after being unavailable to the team between the Arcadia Invitational on April 6 and May 4 at the Mullins Russell Track Classic.

“Before this, I just put my mind where I wanted to be today,” Hall said. “And I had to put in the work to make my way back. I give it to my teammates, because we came out here and finished hard.”

The boys had challenges to overcome Sunday afternoon before running the fastest 4x400 (3:09.86) in the nation since 2010. Ashton Allen and Ryan Willie both ran in the 200-meter final half an hour before the 4x400 was set to go.

Allen ran 20.76w for second place behind Hopkins MN senior Joseph Fahnbulleh, and Willie was fifth in 21.12.

On the final leg of the 4x400, Allen took the baton with Shiloh GA senior Omar Simpson bearing down on him the entire lap.

Coming off the final turn, it looked like the fresh legs of Simpson might prevail.

But Allen ran as if he’d rather lose an arm than lose this race. He got to the finish line first with a split of 46.38.

“I just couldn’t allow that to happen,” Allen said of the prospect of losing.

He got there with the help of Willie, Andre Turay and Austin Allen.

When it was done, he needed help walking off the track and rubbery legs.

“I knew I had to give it my all,” Allen said. “After seeing the girls finish off (their win) and Ryan gave it his all in that 200, I knew I couldn’t let these guys down.”

Bullis’ big moments to conclude the meet followed a bunch of other stellar efforts all day.

Decathlete Yariel Soto of Centerville OH smashed the meet record in the 10-event multi with 7,509 points, good for No. 5 all-time with the high school implements. He PR’d in seven events and seemed to keep rolling from one encouraging moment to the next over two days.

Soto’s grandparents, from Puerto Rico, made the trip to see him compete for the first time.

“I’ve been training for this all year and getting ready for it,” Soto said. “I knew that if I was going to do it, I was going to do it big.”

Soto will attend the University of Tennessee next year. Before that, he intends to represent Puerto Rico at the Pan Am U-20 Championships in Costa Rica in July.

Fahnbulleh was a revelation at NBNO. The Minnesota state champion and his teammates drove 19 hours – in a Suburban and a Toyota -- to get to North Carolina, where they wore throw-back Hopkins High singlets and made everyone take notice.

Fahnbulleh won the 100-meter dash Saturday in 10.35 and then rolled like a freight train to beat Allen and win the 200 in 20.67w. Hopkins finished second in the 4x100 relay to Fort Bend Marshall TX and fourth in the 4x200.

“We wanted to have a whole family bond,” Fahnbulleh said. “After this week is done, we’re done.”

Britton Wilson from Mills Godwin VA, another Tennessee recruit, ran a sensational 400-meter hurdles final and clocked 56.77 for No. 7 all-time.

Marlee Starliper of Northern PA tore away from the pack right away and challenged the clock on the way to winning the girls mile in 4:41.18.

Thelma Davies of Girard College PA ran 22.95w to win the girls 200 meters for one of the fastest times, all conditions, in the U.S. this year.

Another Pennsylvania talent, Tyler Shue, won the boys 800 meters in 1:50.39.

Michaela Rose, a home-schooled sophomore from Suffolk, Va., won the girls 800 meters title in 2:04.38, good for US#2.

Etaijen Easter of Twinsburg OH (24-9.25w) and Jada Seaman of Pikesville MD (21-2.75w) won the long jump competitions.

Aaron Shirley from Oscar Smith VA won the 400-meter hurdles out of non-championship sixth heat, in 51.65. Ramy Berberena from North Brunswick, N.J. won the fastest section in 51.66.

Fort Bend Marshall (Buffaloes Run TC) enjoyed a productive first-time appearance at NBNO. The boys won the 4x100 (40.69) and 4x200 (1:24.41).

Cole Hocker, the Foot Locker cross country champion, anchored Cathedral Catholic IN to the boys distance medley relay title in 9:58. 91. Hocker split 4:08.9.

Lee’s Summit West of Missiouri won the girls distance medley in 11:48.17.