NORTH CAROLINA STATE MEET

Shawnti Jackson Triples 11.33/22.70/53.02 In Final State Meet

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

One of the premier sprinters in high school history, Shawnti Jackson of South Granville, blitzed through the Class 2A meet at the North Carolina state championships at Greensboro on Saturday. 

Jackson won the 100 meters in 11.33 seconds, the 200 in 22.70, and the 400 in 53.02. The 22.70 is an all-time North Carolina record, taking down Gabby Mayo's 22.88. 

Competing for her fourth high school, Jackson won eight individual titles, including five at the 4A level. 

Akala Garrett of Class 1A Albemarle, already a World U20 gold medalist, ran a new personal best and US#1 40.26 in the 300-meter hurdles to break an Anna Cockrell all-time state record. It matched No. 6 all-time. Garrett also won the 100-meter hurdles in 13.52 and the 200 meters in 24.25 seconds. 

The Cuthbertson girls won the 4A team title with 75 points. The team dominated the mid distance finals. Charlotte Bell led a 1-3-4 finish in the 800 meters with her win in 2:08.89. Bell also won the 1,600 in 4:43.27 as the Cavaliers went 1-2-8. Stella Kermes was second in 4:49.06.

Cuthbertson ran 9:01.84 to win the 4x800 relay.

Senior JaMeesia Ford of Jack Britt High tripled in the 4A girls sprints, running times of 11.49, 23.47 and 54.26 seconds.  

Mary Bonner Dalton of Myers Park ran a sensational time of 10:08.64 to win the 4A girls 3,200. 

Parkland won the 4A girls 4x100 (47.35) and 4x200 (1:37.89). 

Panther Creek duo Kristin Smalls and Lena Richardson won field event titles. Smalls won the high jump at 5-6 and Richardson cleared 12-10 in the pole vault. 

The Mallard Creek quartet of Curtis Clark, Benjamin Black, Jayden Lee, Christian Dixon broke the all-time state record in the 4x100 relay with their winning time of US#20 40.87 seconds. The school already broke the 4x200 record a week earlier with 1:24.49.

Weddington won the boys 4A championship with 44 points and 36 of them came in field events, including a 1-2 finish in the pole vault with Ryan Davis and Eli Clark, and a 2-3 finish in the shot put with juniors Christopher Stewart and Kolton Weaver. 

Jacob Laney of Porter Ridge won the 4A boys 3,200 meters in 8:58.04, edging out Marco Evans of Cary (8:58.29). Laney also ran US#9 4:06.06 to win the 1,600 meters as three in the race went under 4:10.

Dazmin James of Clayton swept the 4A sprints, running 10.46 in the 100 meters and 21.06 in the 200. CJ Martin, also of Clayton, won the 400 in 47.30. 

Team Champions - 

Class 4A - Weddington boys 44 points, Cuthbertson girls 75 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Franklin boys 59.5 points, Dudley girls 70 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - T.W. Andrews boys 65 points, Hugh Cummings girls 66 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Union Academy boys 63.5 points, Swain County girls 100 points - RESULTS