SALEMBURG — North Duplin athletes combined to bring home 23 medals during the season-ending 2023 Carolina 1A Conference outdoor track and field championship meet contested at Lakewood High School on Wednesday afternoon.
Senior Levi George and sophomore Tateyawna Faison led the Rebels with three medals apiece.
George claimed gold medals (first place) in the high jump (5 feet, 8.5 inches) and long jump (20-9). He finished runner-up in the triple jump (37-11.5) and wound up seventh in the discus with a throw of 84-4.
Faison emerged as the conference champion in the 100 hurdles (17.6 seconds) and 300 hurdles (53.3). She earned a bronze medal (third place) in the long jump with a mark of 13-7.5.
Freshman multi-sport letterman Trashawn Ruffin seized the Carolina 1A crown with a distance of 39-8 in the shot put. He took second in the discus (109-8).
Ben Bullard crossed the line second in the 3,200 meters with a time of 12:46. Earlier in the day, he secured fourth in the 1,600 meters (5:44).
Marcus Hill won the 300 hurdles in 44.4 seconds. He just missed the medal podium by 0.2 seconds with a fourth-place effort of 17 seconds in the 110 hurdles.
Sprinter Khamari Leak captured fifth in the highly-competitive 200-meter dash. He posted a time of 24.6 seconds. Just 0.9 seconds separated the top seven competitors.
Leak placed fifth in the long jump (18-2.5).
Luis Avila-Gonzalez finished fourth in the 800 (2:24), while Isaias Escoria-Ruiz took fifth place one second later.
The Rebels grabbed silver (second place) in the 4×8 relay, and finished fourth in the both the 4×2 and 4×1 relays.
On the girls’ side, Baker Sumner topped the field in the 3,200 run with a time of 15:35. Janiya Kennion placed second in the 100-meter dash (14.1), while Ashlyn Holland was third in the 200 dash (29.6).
Saniah McNeill was the conference runner-up behind Faison in the 300 hurdles (54.3), fourth in the 100 hurdles and fifth in the long jump.
DeAndra Morrisey took second in the shot put (27-9.5).
North Duplin won the 4×2 relay.
Carolina 1A Conference
Outdoor Track & Field Championships
(at Lakewood HS, Salemburg)
Boys
Team scores
Lakewood (L) 166, Rosewood (R) 110.5, North Duplin (ND) 97.5, Neuse Charter (NC) 96, Hobbton (H) 71, Union (U) 4.
Individual champions
4×2 relay: Lakewood, 1 minute, 38 seconds; Pole vault: Cooper Ivey (L), 10-6; 100: Jayquan Chancey (H), 11.1; 110 hurdles: Jassir Myles (R), 16.4; Discus: Jerry Espino (H), 113 feet, 1 inch; 800: Reece Gary (R), 2:18; High jump: Levi George (ND), 5-8.5; 4×4 relay: Rosewood, 3:58; Shot put: Trashawn Ruffin (ND), 39-8; 300 hurdles: Marcus Hill (ND), 44.4; 4×8 relay: Rosewood, 9:45; 1,600: Mason Dinger (NC), 5:21; Triple jump: James Murphy (L), 40-0.5; 4×1 relay: Lakewood, 46.4; 400: Kristofer Robinson (L), 55.7; 200: Bobby Henry (L), 23.7; 3,200: Gage Lewis (R), 12:36; Long jump: Levi George (ND), 20-9.
Girls
Team scores
Lakewood 201, North Duplin 93, Rosewood 79, Neuse Charter 68, Union 42, Hobbton 22.
Individual champions
4×2 relay: North Duplin, 2:04; Pole vault: Shyann Spell (L), 8-0; 100: Karizma Freeman (L), 13.1; 100 hurdles: Tateyawna Faison (ND), 17.6; Discus: Annah Hobbs (L), 84-0; 800: Isabella Strickland (NC), 3:07; High jump: Kennedy Harper (U), 4-4.5; 4×4 relay: Lakewood, 4:55; Shot put: Gwendolyn King (L) 31-2; 300 hurdles: Tateyawna Faison (ND), 53.3; 4×8 relay: Neuse Charter, 13:11; 1,600: Isabella Strickland (NC), 6:57; Triple jump: Kimora Corbett (L), 30-1; 4×1 relay: Lakewood, 56.4; 400: Kimora Corbett (L), 1:10; 200: Essence Copeland (L), 28.4; 3,200: Baker Sumner (ND), 15:35; Long jump: Kimora Corbett (L), 14-11.
