* The NCHSAA Class 4A Section 2 Race Video
Photo Credit: Jeff Sides/NC Runners
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On Friday, Ardrey Kell's Murphy Smith and Cardinal Gibbons' Wesley Haws squared off in the NCHSAA Class 4A Championships ... in separate heats.
But that didn't deter either athlete.
As we all know, tighter fields are just a way of competition in a COVID-19 world, and so each contender for the Class 4A title had to run a nearly perfect race on their own to secure a coveted state title.
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In the end, Smith's final moments -- in essence, the second half of his race after his first mile was 10 seconds slower than the first heat -- were a little better than Haws.
"I felt like I was going to be ready to try to take on the challenge on winning the state title," Smith said afterward. "It's not won in the first mile. It's won in the last 800 sometimes, the last half. And for me, I'm not a kicker, so I knew I needed to win it in the last half."
Check out results and post-race interviews below.
CLASS 4A, SECTION 2
Comp Name School Time Points
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1 20 Murphy Smith 12 Ardrey Kell 15:44.65
2 135 Jean-Lou Pare' Page 16:08.02
3 157 Zack Gilbertson 10 Pinecrest 16:14.72
4 134 Ethan Long Page 16:17.85
5 45 James Elkan 11 Cary 16:21.26
6 61 Max Geckler 12 Heritage 16:22.77
7 46 Viktor Idhammar 12 Cary 16:28.87
8 23 Krister Sjoblad 10 Athens Drive 16:30.67
9 195 Jeremy Eldredge West Forsyth 16:33.14CLASS 4A, SECTION 1
Men 5k Run CC 4AComp Name School Time Points ========================================================================================= 1 39 Wesley Haws 12 Cardinal Gibbons 15:46.59 2 128 Maddon Muhammad Myers Park 15:58.03 3 145 Justin Hayes 12 Panther Creek 15:58.74 4 89 Griffin Horner 11 Lake Norman 16:05.17 5 62 Bryce Anderson Hickory Ridge 16:29.92 6 158 Jacob Laney Porter Ridge 16:31.11 7 59 Alex Fernandez 10 Green Level 16:37.03 8 125 Dylan Canipe Myers Park 16:38.73 9 41 Aidan O'Donnell 11 Cardinal Gibbons 16:40.52 10 131 Luke Terrell Myers Park 16:45.95
Murphy Smith Interview:
Wesley Haws Interview: