WINSTON-SALEM— Jayhlen Washington led North Brunswick to the men’s team championship in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A/2-A indoor track and field championships at JDL Fast Track on Friday night.
North Brunswick earned the men’s team title for the second consecutive year, with sophomore Washington winning both the long jump and triple jump to lead the way. Washington also ran a leg on the winning 800 meter relay team en route to earning Most Valuable Performer honors.
The Scorpions were tallied 71.50 points, well ahead of second-place North Pit at 39t, and then came in order Polk (36), Newport Croatan (32) and Monroe Central Academy (26).
There were 45 teams scoring in the men’s meet.
Elijah Inuwa of Central Academy in Monroe broke his own state 1-A/2-A record in the 1000 with a winning time of 2:36.60, and he set a new classification standard in the 1600 in 4:27.14. Mitchell’s Zack Boone shattered his own 1-A/2-A record set last year in the 3200 by more than eight seconds with a winning time of 9:35.19, one of eight new records established on the men’s side.
Burlington Cummings won a women’s championship for the sixth time in the last eight years, with 66 points to 55 for runner-up Community School of Davidson. Croatan was third, followed by High Point Andrews and then a tie for fifth between Avery and North Rowan. There were 40 women’s team scoring points in the meet.
Senior Malia Ellington of Community School of Davidson had an excellent meet, winning three events, and was named the Most Valuable Performer for the second consecutive year. Excelling in the distance events, she finished took top honors in the 1000 1600 and 3200, and also ran anchor for the state champion 3200 relay quartet.
Winston-Salem Prep’s Deonica Reid captured first place in the long jump and also won the 55 meters in a classification record of 7.23 seconds.
It was the second year for a separate 1-A/2-A championship. For the seven years prior, there was a separate 4-A meet and the 1-A, 2-A and 3-A schools competed together in a single championship.
The 3-A and the 4-A championships are scheduled for Saturday.
