Andrews track boasts another strong showing at state

HIGH POINT Its easy to see what track means at T.W.

Andrews the trophies in the case, the banners in the rafters, the photos on the wall.For the third straight year, the Red Raiders came home with notable hardware at the NCHSAA 2A state championship Saturday, May 17, at N.C.

A&T State University.

The girls team posted a runner-up finish while on the boys side JaNeil Harris capped his stellar career with the Most Outstanding Performer award.I really felt great about it, Andrews coach Ty Mathis said.

You could tell what I asked them to put in really paid off from our most veteran athletes to our freshmen.

What I enjoyed most about it was that our seniors really pushed our younger athletes to be better this year.The Red Raiders won five events the girls won two relays, while Harris won all three races he ran plus posted another seven top-five finishes.It was a good day for an outdoor program that owns 10 boys championships, including the previous two, and five girls championships and now 10 MOP honors.I think its like a puzzle, Mathis said.

Being able to match the pieces in the right location.

This year we didnt have as many guys out they were pretty young and it was their first time doing track.Some of my girls have been doing track since middle school, AAU.

So they already had the experience and pretty much the exposure.

They were able to translate that over to high school.Its definitely that experience, because it does take time its a process.

Its not something that happens overnight, although we want it to be.

Its really going through the process and seeing yourself grow.Harris became the first Andrews athlete on the boys side to earn MOP since Kellen Brand in 2000 and the fifth overall after Darius Brewington won three in a row in the early 1990s.

Hes the schools first overall since Nicole Barnes in 2018.He was also the MOP of this winters indoor meet.Harris, who has signed to run at Florida, won the boys 100 in 10.49 seconds knocking off three tenths off his time in the preliminaries.

He also won the boys 200 in 21.52 seconds and the boys 400 in 47.80 seconds.By his count, he finished his career with 14 state titles.For the 100, I knew I had it.

For the 200, I knew I had it, Harris said.

I just knew (in the 400) Id have to get out.

I knew the kid from Salisbury had a kick, so if I stayed with him then Id be fighting more than I usually did.

I just knew I had to get out.Harris, who also helped the boys 4x400 to a fifth-place finish (3:26.38), came to Andrews not really all that interested in track.

But being around so many high-level competitors just pushed him and his teammates to achieve great things.My freshman year coming in, I was really a football guy, he said.

I wanted to play football.

And when I met Coach Mathis, he was like, Come out for the track team.

Come run.

And I gave it a shot.So, when I first saw Correy (McManus), they said he was the fastest kid on the team.

And I wanted to be the fastest kid on the team.

So, I was always matching him, sticking with him.

And thats where I feel we got our bond me being competitive, him being competitive.When I first saw the wall, I was like, I want my name up there too.

Why not work for it? On the girls side, Sanai Johnson, Valeria Gainey, Mariah Hoy and Jamya Brand won the 4x100 relay in 48.30 seconds, while Johnson, Gainey, Kemoria Turner-Williams and Hoy teamed to win the 4x200 relay in 1:41.15.Everyone cant say theyre a state champion, Johnson said.

And to have that honor means a lot.

And with my teammates I didnt do that by myself.

That was just as much them as it was me.

Its just nice going to college not to brag or anything, but not a lot of people can say they won a ring in high school.My sisters have been joking this whole season, saying, You cant leave high school with nothing.

You better do something at the track meet.

And when Mariah Hoy crossed the line in the 4x2, I just couldnt be any more excited.

My sister wanted to act all nonchalant, but deep down inside she was happy for me.Johnson, who has signed to play basketball at Bryant & Stratton, also placed fourth in the girls 100 (12.28) and eighth in the girls 200 (26.32).

Hoy was fifth in the girls 100 (12.28) and fifth in the girls 200 (25.98).Jocelyn Boyd was third in the girls 100 hurdles (15.57) and eighth in the girls 300 hurdles (15.57), while Journie Barr was fourth in the girls shot put (36-1).

Turner-Williams was ninth in the girls 400 (1:02.89), and Gainey was 10th in the girls 200 (26.43).Johnson has been a key member of the Lady Raiders powerhouse girls basketball team and has been running track throughout her career at Andrews many times on the same day during the overlapping seasons.And she closes out her high school career on a high note as well.This was my first year winning a state championship, Johnson said.

So it blew my mind, seeing where I started as a freshman to now.

I always wanted it, but I didnt know when it was going to come.I wish it couldve come sooner.

But because it happened now, Im leaving high school a state champion.

So, I cant ask for anything more..

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