Mother Nature was the big story during Saturday’s N.C. 4A and 2A state championship track meets at N.C. A&T, but Mallard Creek’s Cravont Charleston wasn’t too bad, either.
The meet, which began at 10 a.m., was postponed by thunder, lightning and rain. The meet resumed after 7 p.m. Saturday night after a delay of about two hours. But Charleston, the 2016 Charlotte Observer indoor track runner of the year, won the 100-meters in 10.38 seconds. Charleston, an N.C. State recruit, won the 4A indoor championship at 55 meters this winter. His time of 6.24 was the sixth-best 55-meters by a North Carolina athlete all time and was the second best in the nation this year.
Saturday, Charleston finished third in the 200 and was also a part of Mallard Creek’s 400-meter relay team which won state. He was joined by Thomas Gordon, William Eason and Cam Stover.
In the team race, Mallard Creek’s girls finished second to Southeast Raleigh in 4A. Durham Hillside won the 4A boys title. North Brunswick (boys) and Burlington Cummings (girls) won 2A team titles Saturday.
Several area athletes won state championships. Among them:
▪ Mallard Creek sophomore Akira Rhodes won the 4A girls 100 hurdles (13.76)
▪ Lincolnton’s Tyshawn Smith won the boys 2A 100 (10.65)
▪ Lincolnton’s 800-meter relay team (Tyreke Hollis, Tyshawn Smith, Skylar Evans, Tyshaun Harris) won in 2A.
▪ Mount Pleasant’s Brittany Stanley won the girls 1,600 (4:59.96) and the 800 (2:13.53) in 2A.
▪ In field events, Rocky River’s Kenya Livingston won the girls 4A high jump (5-9), Forest Hills’ Desmond Lindsey won the 2A boys high jump (6-8) and long jump (22-0); Olympic’s Khayla Dawson won 4A shot put (49-0) and discus (140-01).