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During a meet earlier this season, New Bern’s Fuquawn Greene competes in the final leg of the 4x100-meter relay. Greene finished second in both the 100 and 200 in Saturday’s MidEast Regional in Raleigh.
Jess Huffman/Sun Journal
New Bern runs away with regional
The New Bern boys track team took its first step toward winning its third straight state championship on Saturday.
The Bears won the Class 4-A MidEast Regional at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh, finishing with 121 team points - 46 points ahead of their closest competitor.
"Everything went just like we wanted to see it," New Bern track coach Mark Robison said. "We took first or second in half of the 18 events. We didn't make many mistakes."
New Bern walked away with two individual champions in the meet. Anthony Hendrix won the 400-meter with a time of 49.36 seconds, while Mike Price placed first in the long jump with a leap of 22-5 1/2.
The 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams also earned victories, finishing with times of 1:27.64 and 3:30.34, respectively.
"We're on top of our game," Robison said. "Our relay teams are doing what they need to do. The kids were excited. But they were not overly excited because they know we've got another hurdle to get through."
The top-four finishers in each event qualified for Saturday's Class 4-A championships at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro.
Along with Hendrix and Price, Fuquawn Greene had a solid showing for the Bears on Saturday. Greene placed second in both the 100 (10.46) and the 200 (21.32). Deshaun Styron also qualified in the 100 with a time of 10.78.
The Bears qualified two athletes in three events - the 100, 800 and 400. Andrew Hendrix finished just behind his twin brother in the 400 to take second place with a time of 50.12. Meanwhile, in the 800, Rodney Stewart earned second (1:58.93) and Banks Barnes placed fourth (2:01.13).
Sophomore Miles Sparks finished in third place in the 300 hurdles with a time of 39.47. Freshman Terrell Lindsay also qualified for the state by placing third in the triple jump with a distance of 44-9.
The New Bern 4x100 and 4x800 relay teams both finished in second place with times of 42.70 and 8:04.44, respectively.
Junior Johnique Fonville highlighted the day for the New Bern girls track team. Fonville was the lone qualifier for the Bears, finishing second in the triple jump with a distance of 36-1 1/4.
Fonville also placed fifth in the long jump with a leap of 16-0.
"She was kind of disappointed because this is the first year since she's been at the high school that she hasn't qualified for both the triple jump and the high jump," New Bern assistant coach Philemon Gray said. "But I believe she is going to be the No. 3 seed, and if she can finish in the top three in the triple jump, that would be a great accomplishment."
The Class 4-A state track and field meet is scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
"I don't think we really need to work on anything other than fine-tuning the exchanges and keeping the kids healthy," Robison said.
