GREENSBORO—Top athletes from across the state of North Carolina will compete in a busy weekend of track as the North Carolina High School Athletic Association holds part of its state track and field championships.
The first weekend of competition will feature 1-A championships for both men and women on Friday, and then on Saturday the 3-A championships will be held, all at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.
The 2-A and 4-A meets will be held the following weekend.
Action in the field events will begin at noon and running events will start at 1 p.m. on Friday, while Saturday’s schedule opens with field events at 10 am and running events at 11 am. It will be the 87th annual men’s championships and the 36th annual renewal of the women’s event.
In women’s 1-A competition, West Wilkes is the defending team champion. Swain County had a strong performance in winning last week’s 1-A West Regional, while Princeton, Albemarle and Hampstead Topsail also won their respective regionals.
South Stokes took the men’s state title last year in 1-A. Ayden-Grifton qualified 15 participants to the state meet in winning its regional last week, while North Carolina School of Science and Math, Pamlico and Polk County also earned regional crowns.
Jamestown Ragsdale won the 3-A women’s team crown a year ago and also took top honors in its regional last week. Asheville T.C. Roberson, Western Guilford and Jacksonville White Oak were also regional team champions.
In men’s competition, Roberson, Mooresville, Eastern Alamance and Nash Central won their respective regional crowns. Northern Nash is the defending men’s state team champ.
The Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Greensboro Sports Commission, North Carolina Amateur Sports and Pepsi-Cola are serving as corporate sponsors for the event.
NCHSAA FastFacts
Event: NCHSAA Track and Field Championships, 1-A and 3-A classifications
Date: May 11-12, 2007, with 1-A men and women on May 11 and 3-A men and women on May 12
Site: Irwin Belk Track, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro
First Held: 1913 for men, 1972 for women
Qualifiers: The top four finishers in each event, including relays, qualified from the regional level to the state championship meet
Defending champions: women: 1-A, West Wilkes; 3-A, Jamestown Ragsdale; men: 1-A, South Stokes; 3-A, Northern Nash.
Of Interest: the oldest men’s track and field record still on the NCHSAA books is the 1975 record-setting shot put of Mike Salzano of Northern Durham at 61 feet, four and one-half inches.
Sponsors: Greensboro Sports Commission, Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau, North Carolina Amateur Sports, Pepsi-Cola
