The relay team of Ava Batten, Madi You, Callie You, and Saniah Sapp won the 4x200-meter state title with a time of 1:48.98, finishing over four seconds ahead of second place Robbinsville. Batten, Leah-Rae Miller and both You sisters took the 4x400-meter relay race as well, winning by more than two seconds ahead of Ascend Leadership Academy with a time of 4:25.10.
Saniah Sapp won the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.31 and Callie You took the 400 meters title by running 1:02.42.
The boys 4x200-meter relay team of Jalen Adams, Jaden Adams, Josh Littlejohn, & Tarique Gayle also took home a state title with a time of 1:33.37.
“This team has been working for several years to reach this point,” said Phoenix Track Coach and Athletic Director Robert Youtz. “They started working and training in December when the weather is cold and they never gave up even when the cards were stacked against them. This is a very hard-working team and a team that is very easy to coach. They don't argue, and they bought into the mission for this year to be the best.”
The girls’ team finished fourth in the overall state standings for 1A teams, just five points away from the state title, while the boys finished in 13th place.
Youtz said the girls who won event titles were favored to win those events after dominating them for most of the season.
“They were extremely excited. Winning these events at the state meet puts a punctuation on the season that made all the work, long hours, and training in bad weather worth it. Nothing is better than having your last meet be your best and going out on top as a state champion.”
Seniors Ava Batten and Callie You played key roles in the leadership of the team, Youtz said. They have grown to understand the influence they could have on younger teammates and the impact on the team overall.
“Ava has grown as a track athlete into believing she can be one of the best runners. She didn't really want to run the 400 meters, but she understood that she could help the team and took on that role to better the team. Toward the end of the season, she balanced school, practice, and a job.
“Callie has been a dominant track runner since her freshman year. The sky is the limit for her, and she is the hardest working member on the team. She does whatever it takes to get better not just at practice but doing workouts on off days and when we are not in school. Callie is one of those athletes that is not easily replaced and will be deeply missed next year.”
Youtz said middle school students hold the key to continued success for the track team and the rest of the Phoenix Academy athletics teams. How they train and prepare for their time on high school teams will determine their success. This year’s group of seniors played a large role in showing what strong leadership is about.
“Without good leadership, especially from our seniors, a team will not be successful. Good team leaders are a key, and Callie and Ava showed that. At the end of the day, I am just honored to be their coach and watch them grow.”
Great job on an excellent season, Phoenix athletes!
About Phoenix Academy
Phoenix Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in High Point, North Carolina, serving students in kindergarten through high school. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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