The HighSchoolOT boys indoor track and field all-state team for the third year showcases 11 athletes who have been selected for their second or third time. The most experienced athlete is East Burke senior Kenneth Byrd, who has been chosen six times in the past three years.

The state team selection is determined by the results of either the N.C. High School Athletic Association championship or the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association invitational, which is considered the unofficial championship.

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Earlier State Teams, Last Placements

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Below is a list of the complete teams, with players ranked according to their championship times or marks.

The first two positions or scores represent the first team, while the next two positions or scores indicate the second team.

In certain instances, there were equal scores among various categories. To determine which teams advanced, the deciding factor was the placement on the podium (a 1A champion took precedence over a 4A athlete who placed second in the same event). In the case of continued ties, both athletes were included in the all-state team. This year’s team had two ties, both occurring in the 55-meter race— two runners tied for second place on the first team in both time and podium finish. Typically, this would result in only one runner on the second team, but two runners also tied in both time and podium finish for the remaining spot on the second team, allowing both to make the team.

This year, five athletes qualified in two separate events: Le’Ezra Brown from Dudley, Luke Liming from Cary, Jordan Wolverton from Mount Tabor, and Avery Fraley and Kenneth Byrd from East Burke.

The following players have been selected for the HSOT all-state indoor team multiple times throughout their careers. Byrd and Liming have the most first-team appearances.

• 6-time (1): Byrd***
• 3X: Lime***, Wolf*, Walker Norris** from North Raleigh Christian

• Two-time (7): Brown**, Fraley, Payton-Kimble from Northeastern**, Jack Tan from Wakefield, Desmond Smith from Hillside*, Raghav Gopalakrishnan from Ardrey Kell*, and Correy McManus from T.W. Andrews*.

*-number of first-team appearances

The complete list of teams is shown below, with players ranked according to their championship timings or scores.

“The 2023 HighSchoolOT All-State Team for Boys Indoor Track and Field”

First Team

Brandon Harris from Reagan High School placed first in the 4A division with a time of 6.31 seconds. He is a senior.

Correy McManus and T.W. Andrews (senior) won the 1A/2A championship with a score of 6.38.

Le’Ezra Brown of Dudley High School won the 3A championship with a time of 6.38 seconds as a junior.

C. J. Martin from Clayton won the 4A championship (setting a state record) with a time of 34.36 in the senior category.

Micah Walker, a junior from Parkland, achieved a time of 34.37 seconds, earning 2nd place in the 4A category.

At the 4A championship, Tim Brown from Hough High School (senior) won first place with a time of 1:03.69.

Jamel Brown, a senior at Southwest Guilford, finished second in the 4A category with a time of 1:04.71.

Dawson Reeves from Christ School, a senior, won the NCISAA championship with a time of 2:30.46 in the 1000 meter race.

At the 4A championships, sophomore Hunter Bates from Weddington won with a time of 2 minutes and 31.23 seconds. His overall score was 1000 points.

The winner of the 4A championship in the senior category was Luke Liming from Cary with a time of 4:15.86, achieving a score of 1600.

Venable from Broughton High School (senior) placed 2nd in the 4A race with a time of 4:16.31.
3200: Luke Liming, Cary (senior) — 9:12.51, 4A champ
3200: Raghav Gopalakrishnan, Ardrey Kell (senior) — 9:13.12, 2nd in 4A

Le’Ezra Brown of Dudley High School won the 55 hurdles race as a junior with a time of 7.25 seconds, setting a new 3A record and earning him the state championship.

Desmond Smith from Hillside, a senior, won the 4A championship in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 7.37 seconds.

In the long jump event, Walker Norris from North Raleigh Christian School (a senior) won with a distance of 24 feet and 6.25 inches at the NCISAA championship.

William Leak, a sophomore from Hoke County, won the title for the 4A long jump with an impressive distance of 22 feet and 10 inches.

Jayden Wentz, a senior representing the United States at the Olympic Games, achieved a distance of 46-08.00 in the triple jump, earning him the title of 4A champion.

Alexander Chapman-Evans, a sophomore from Enloe, placed second in the 4A triple jump event with a distance of 46-02.00.

Jordan Wolverton from Mount Tabor High School won the 4A championship in the high jump event with a height of 6 feet and 8 inches. He is a senior.
high jump: Christian Hackett, Union Pines (senior) — 6-08.00, 3A champ

In the pole vault event at the 1A/2A championships, Kage Hefner from Bandys High School cleared a height of 16 feet, earning him the championship title as a senior.

Eli Clark from Weddington High School (senior) won the 4A pole vault championship with a height of 15 feet.

Junior Payton-Kimble from Northeastern, a senior, was the 1A/2A champion in the shot put event with a distance of 60 feet 2.75 inches.

Cooper Williams, a junior from Davie County, won the 4A championship in the shot put with a throw of 58 feet and 6.25 inches.

Second Team

Anthony Boykin, a sophomore at Enloe High School, placed second in the 4A division with a time of 6.41.

Tyvell Foskey, a junior from Farmville Central, placed second in the 1A/2A category with a time of 6.41.

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In the 4A division, Dominic Harper from Garner placed third with a time of 34.55 seconds in the junior category.
300: Ja’Neil Harris, T.W. Andrews (junior) — 34.90, 1A/2A champ(1A/2A record)

The third-place finish in the 4A competition belonged to senior Josiah Wrice from Butler High School, with a time of 1:04.74.

“In the 500-meter race, Evan Pardue of Union Academy (junior) took first place with a time of 1:05.50 to become the 1A/2A champion.”

Logan Hill from Charlotte Catholic, a senior, placed second in the 4A category with a time of 2:31.91.

Jackson DiRoma from Charlotte Latin, a senior, placed second in NCISAA with a time of 2:32.01.

James Callahan from Cary Christian (junior) achieved a time of 4:17.17 and became the nciSAA champion in 1600.
1600: Kavi Gibson, Cary Academy (sophomore) — 4:17.24, NCISAA champ

Tyler Surface from North Raleigh Christian (senior) won the NCISAA championship with a time of 9:20.08 in the 3200 meter race.

Andre Michaels, a senior from Leesville Road, placed third in the 4A division with a time of 9:20.90.

Number 55 obstacles: James Coleman from Chapel Hill High School (a senior) ran a time of 7.37 seconds and placed second in the 4A division.

Jeremiah King and T.W. Andrews (senior) both competed in the 55 hurdles, with King securing the 1A/2A championship in a time of 7:50.

Jordan Wolverton from Mount Tabor (senior) placed second in 4A with a long jump distance of 22 feet and 9.25 inches.

In the long jump event at the 4A level, junior Andrew Davis from Ardrey Kell placed third with a distance of 22 feet and 7 inches.
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Avery Fraley from East Burke High School, a senior, jumped 45-07.00 to become the 1A/2A champion in triple jump.
triple jump: Asun Pender, Beddingfield (senior) — 45-06.00, 2nd in 1A/2A

Kenneth Byrd from East Burke, a senior, was the champion in the high jump event with a height of 6 feet and 6 inches in the 1A/2A category.

Avery Fraley of East Burke (senior) achieved a height of 6 feet 4 inches in high jump, placing second in the 1A/2A division.

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Kenneth Byrd from East Burke High School, a senior, placed second in the 1A/2A level with a height of 15-00.00 in the pole vault event.

Jack Tan from Wakefield achieved second place in the 4A division of pole vault with a height of 14 feet and 6 inches. He competed as a junior athlete.

Kolton Weaver from Weddington High School, a senior, placed second in 4A with a distance of 56 feet and 5 and 1/4 inches in the shot put event.

Shot put champion, Christopher Stewart from Weddington High School, achieved a distance of 56 feet and 4.25 inches during his senior year, earning 3rd place in the 4A category.

Source: highschoolot.com