McKinley McNeill (Parkland) used the banked curves to run 1:14.04 last year, and she has a legitimate shot at the all-time state record this weekend
Despite the presence of a major high school invitational on North Carolina soil this weekend, many North Carolina athletes will still make the trip up to Blacksburg, Virginia, for the Virginia Tech Premier Invitational. The reasons are simple: the competition is excellent, and the facility has the reputation for producing great performances. The 200-meter banked track is particularly fast in the long sprints (4x200, 300, 4x400, 500), and the elevated wooden runways are a favorite of many long jumpers, triple jumpers, and pole vaulters.
Events to Watch
- Girls 55 Hurdles: Wakefield's Breanne Bygrave, who is US #5 right now, could win this race, and Lessville's Shellbi Chapman is in position to advance to the finals.
- Boys 55 Dash: Daniel Estrada (Northwest Guilford) is US #3 in this event, and there's a good chance that Hopewell's Jawan Miller will join him in the final.
- Girls 3200: Elly Henes (Green Hope) takes on 2-time Foot Locker finalist Libby Davidson, with Cardinal Gibbons duo Sophie Ebihara and Marissa Bishop also in contention. Henes and Davidson will also battle in the 1600.
- Girls High Jump: Kenya Livingston (Rocky River) is tied for US #6, but she really wants to get back up over 5' 7" again - her PR from last year would put her into the 3rd spot in the national rankings. Saidah Hardwick (Southeast Raleigh) is part of the NC log jam at 5' 4", so a PR here would help her going into the state meet.
- Girls 4x200: Current US #10 Southeast Raleigh will have a chance to drop time - no event is benefited more by the banked curves than this one. NC #2 Parkland is also in the top section, and that could result in a fast race if the Mustangs are healthy.
- Boys 1000: Three of NC's best mid-distance runners square off against each other and some of the best Virginians in what could be the deepest event of the meet. Mitchell Resor (Weddington) holds the top seed, with Connor Peeples (Cardinal Gibbons) and Jayquan Williams (Green Hope) also in position to challenge for the win.
- Girls 500: McKinley McNeill ran the 3rd-fastest time in NC history in this race last year, less than 0.2 seconds off of the all-time record. She dominated that race, but this time she has US #3 Nyjari McNeil (no relation) to push her. Shellbi Chapman (Leesville Road) and Kleo Torres (Southeast Raleigh) are both looking for sub-1:16 times.
- Boys 1600: NC athletes occupy the 2nd through 4th seeds in this one, with Connor Peeples (Cardinal Gibbons) set to race Matthew Conner (Weddington) and Henry Pehr (Green Hope) along with Virginia's Tyler Cox-Philyaw. Will Peeples try the double, or focus on just one race?
More Virginia Tech Premier Invitational Coverage
Highly-Seeded NC Athletes at Virginia Tech Premier Invitational
Friday
- Veronica Fraley (Wakefield), Shot Put
- Steve Fossi-Noue (Mallard Creek), Triple Jump
- Terrell Adams (Middle Creek), Shot Put
- Shellbi Chapman (Leesville Road), 55 Hurdles
- Breanne Bygrave (Wakefield), 55 Hurdles
- Gabriel Hammonds (R.J. Reynolds), 55 Hurdles
- Lauren White (Rolesville), 55 Dash
- Jahnae Bowman (Parkland), 55 Dash
- Tyresha Alexander (North Meck), 55 Dash
- Charminiqu Hackney (SE Raleigh), 55 Dash
- Imani Prince-Gay (Hopewell), 55 Dash
- Ryan Richardson (Hopewell), 55 Dash
- Jawan Miller (Hopewell), 55 Dash
- Deallen Hargrove (North Mecklenburg), 55 Dash
- Kalen Tims (Glenn), 55 Dash
- Daniel Estrada (Northwest Guilford), 55 Dash
- Leesville Road Girls 4x800
- Green Hope Boys 4x800
- Elly Henes (Green Hope), 3200 Run
- Sophie Ebihara (Cardinal Gibbons), 3200 Run
- Marissa Bishop (Cardinal Gibbons), 3200 Run
- Jack Cawley (Middle Creek), 3200 Run
- Todd Holbrook (R.J. Reynolds), 3200 Run
- Alex Cornwell (Hickory Ridge), 3200 Run
Saturday
- Bailey Frederick (Marvin Ridge), Pole Vault
- Kenya Livingston (Rocky River), High Jump
- Timara Chapman (Leesville Road), High Jump
- Saidah Hardwick (SE Raleigh), High Jump
- Southeast Raleigh Girls 4x200 & 4x400
- Parkland Girls 4x200 & 4x400
- Anna Passannante (Chapel Hill), 1000 Run
- G'Jasmyne Butler (Leesville Road), 1000 Run
- Mitchell Resor (Weddington), 1000 Run
- Jayquan Williams (Green Hope), 1000 Run
- Connor Peeples (Cardinal Gibbons), 1000 Run & 1600 Run
- McKinley McNeill (Parkland), 500 Dash
- Shellbi Chapman (Leesville Road), 500 Dash
- Kleo Torres (SE Raleigh), 500 Dash
- Lorenzo Graise (Parkland), 500 Dash
- Elly Henes (Green Hope), 1600 Run
- Matthew Conner (Weddington), 1600 Run
- Henry Pehr (Green Hope), 1600 Run
- Parkland Boys 4x400
- Green Hope Boye 4x400