Joseph Gadson captured two events and Evan Mang added a first-place performance as the South Davie boys track & field team tied for second out of six teams in the middle-school conference championship meet.
Lexington was the winner with 106 points. South and Asheboro tied for second at 96. Ellis (87), North Davie (56) and Thomasville (17) rounded out the field.
Gadson won the high jump with a 5-4 performance. He was first in that event in all but one meet this season. “Joseph was a very strong competitor in this event with five first-place finishes,” South coach Matt Pickard said. “He and Broc Barnette were close competitors, pushed each other and made gains under the coaching of Broc’s father, Greg Barnette.”
Gadson’s other title came in the 200 dash.
“His running has the sort of effortless look that makes it almost seem easy,” Pickard said. “I don’t think he took anything but first in the 200 (this year).”
Mang captured the discus with a personal-best 103-8.
“Evan’s form in the discus is very refined for a competitor of his age, or even that of a high-school thrower,” Pickard said. “He is a strong athlete in shot as well, and he can jump and run the 800 pretty well also. Evan and the other throwers worked with coach Andrew Lay.”
Only one other male from the county enjoyed first place on the boys’ side, and that distinction belonged to Ellis’ Kinston Whitener, who swept the 110 hurdles and 165 hurdles.
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South’s Barnette was a two-time runner-up (high jump, 200 dash). South’s Ta’Saun Martin and Gadson were second in the triple jump and 100 dash, respectively.
Gadson was tantalizingly close to bagging three wins. His 12.28 time in the 100 was a whisker behind the first-place time of 12.16.
North Davie’s Blake Budd was second in both the 1600 and 800. North’s Adam Smith was second in the discus.
Ellis’ Jared Dequenne was twice a runner-up (400 and 1600 relay). His teammates in the relay were Alex Crotts, Andrew Kabaelo and Whitener.
The story on the girls’ meet will appear in next week’s edition.