Staff report

GREENSBORO — Salisbury’s boys got off to a super start by winning the 4×800 relay in Friday’s 2A Track and Field State Championships, but the Hornets eventually settled for fifth place.

The competition was held at the Marcus T. Johnson Track at North Carolina A&T.

T.W. Andrews won the boys title with 98 points. Andrews won two relays and had a 2-3-4 finish in the 300 hurdles as it pushed to the 10th state championship for the program.

East Burke was second with 52 points. East Burke was led by Louisville recruit Kenneth Byrd, who won the long jump and 110 hurdles and was second in the high jump. He was named Most Outstanding Performer for the fourth time in his career.

Salisbury scored 32 points, with 27 coming from the four relay races.

Salisbury’s 4×800 unit of Samuel Fatovic, Austin Massaquori, Finnegan Avery and Jamal Rule won in 8:08, 14 seconds better than their regional time.

Salisbury nearly won the 4×400 with Jeremiah Davidson, Jaylyn Smith, Jordan Waller and Rule, but the Hornets were nipped by St. Pauls and had to settle for silver. The Hornets ran about 4 seconds faster than their winning regional time.

In the 4×100, the Hornets placed fourth in 42.91 seconds. That relay includes Quincy Robinson, Jaylin Johnson, Smith and Deuce Walker.

In the 4×200, the Hornets were fifth in 1:29.35. That team is Walker, Rule, Waller and Smith.

Salisbury’s five points aside from the relays came from Rule’s fourth-place finish in the 400. He ran a time of 49.41 seconds.

Fatovic was ninth in the 1600 in 4:42. Smith was ninth in the 200 meters in 22.63 seconds. Davidson was 14th in the 400 (52.35).

The 4×800 and 4×200 units turned in times that are classified as elite, as did Rule in the 400.

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Salisbury’s girls, the 2A Midwest Regional champions, scored 25 points and finished ninth in Friday’s 2A State Championships.

Cummings amassed 103 points to win its 18th state title.

The Hornets accumulated 16 points in the relays.

Salisbury’s highest finish was second place in the 4×400 for eight points. Salisbury was clocked in 4:03.42, eight seconds faster than the Hornets ran in the regional. That group is Millie Wymbs, Tai’lah Ward, Kendall Henderson and Dashia Canada.

The Hornets girls were third in the 4×200 in 1:43.26, about a second faster than they ran in the regional. That unit is Ward, Wymbs, Henderson and Skekiya Woodruff.

The 4×100 team of Henderson, Canada, Woodruff and Mya Noble scored with a seventh-place finish. They were timed in 50.20 seconds.

Tai’lah Ward was fourth in the 300 hurdles (47.06) and sixth in the 200 (26.13). Canada got one point for finishing eighth in the 300 hurdles (49.07).

Wymbs was ninth in the 400 (1:00.84), while Henderson was 13th in the 200 (26.90).

Catherine Parker won the 3200, 1600 and 800 to lead NC Science & Math to second place.

Pine Lake Prep came in third with 38 points.