Indoor Track Travels to Nationals

The Indoor Track Season Ended with a Strong Showing at the New Balance Nationals!

All smiles from a successful group of runners with plenty of success ahead (GhFalcon.com)

All smiles from a successful group of runners with plenty of success ahead (GhFalcon.com)

Grayson Cuffe, Staff Writer
March 16, 2022

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Toria Roundtree in the girls shot put event. The North Carolina state champion this indoor season for girl’s shot put, Toria was able to qualify for the championship event. Through three throws Torias’ farthest mark was thirty seven feet, just a bit off from her personal record. This mark was able to push her to 19th in the nation and first for North Carolina by a wide margin. With outdoor track season starting up, Toria’s dominance won’t stop anytime soon.

— Writer Grayson Cuffe

After a successful season on the track, Green Hope Indoor track traveled to New York to participate in the New Balance Nationals. Six athletes, Jacob Kurak, Toria Roundtree, Dax Mahome, Andrew Vo, Sebastian Percival-Shin, and Davis Cuffe were able to qualify for four events. This year Nationals were held in the prestigious Armory indoor track arena where the Millrose games were held earlier this year.

The first event of the weekend for Green Hope was the boys rising stars distance medley relay. The relay started off with junior Andrew Vo who ran the 1200, Andrew ran a 3.21 in his first time running the event. Next was senior Davis Cuffe who ran the 400 in a 53.79 split, a small PR for him. He then handed off to sophomore Sebastian Percival-Shin who dropped nearly a four second PR in the 800 and broke the two minute mark finishing with a 1.59 split. Last was another sophomore, Dax Mahone who ran the mile in the last leg of the event he ran a 4.38 -just milliseconds off from a PR.  This totaled to your Green Hope’s boys finishing 19th in the nation on Friday.

Next was senior Toria Roundtree in the girls shot put event. The North Carolina state champion this indoor season, Toria was able to qualify for the championship event. Through three throws Torias’ farthest mark was thirty seven feet, just a bit off from her personal record. This mark was able to push her to 19th in the nation and first for North Carolina by a wide margin. With outdoor track season starting up, Toria’s dominance won’t stop anytime soon.

Sunday’s first event for Green Hope featured senior Jacob Kurak, in the 800m boys rising stars race. Jacob, who finished second in the state in the 1000, was able to qualify for this event from a conversion of his 1000 meter time. In the 800, Jacob ran a 1.58, a near PR, but was quoted saying that he’s “still hungry for a faster time”.

Last but not least for Green Hope was the men’s four by 800m relay, an event Green Hope was able to finish third in this year at the indoor state championship meet. Sebastian Percival-Shin, the first leg of this event ran a 2.02, just seconds off from his personal record set Friday in the DMR. Next was Andrew Vo who ran a 2.00, nearly a three second PR for him. He then handed off to Dax Mahone who ran a 2.02, another PR for this group. Jacob Kurak, the anchor for this group, was able to run another 1.58. These times totaled to a 8.03 for Green Hope’s four by eight squad, a five second drop from their third place performance at states, making them first in the state for North Carolina.

Pictured above is the Armory indoor track where Green Hope competed last weekend (GHFalcon.com)

While indoor track is over, outdoor is just starting up and this group isn’t going anywhere. Be sure to show your support for these runners this week before their Patriot Invitational this upcoming Friday.