The taste of success made the mouths of every athlete on the track salivate. The trophy was nearly tangible, and the girls ‘ hands seemed to be reaching out to it. 

Fingers were crossed, bodies tense, and hands were held as the girls awaited the announcement of their fate.

Everyone held their breath until the dreams of a state championship became a reality. 

The score: 54 to 51. They had done it. They had beaten Mallard Creek.

For the first time in history, these girls led their team to win the N.C. High School Athletic Association outdoor track and field championship.

The blood, sweat, and tears had finally paid off. The countless hours of practice, the fun days, and those that weren’t had finally been worth everything.

The whole day, Gibbons and Mallard Creek had been neck-and-neck in points.

The girls started the day by taking gold in the 4-by-800 meter relay. With a stacked team of Maggie Whitham, Addy Mitchell, Kaitlyn Estep, and Hannah Rae Shaffer, they crushed their competition by almost eight seconds, with a time of 9:06.53.

Estep won gold in the 800-meter run with 2:11.12, and Shaffer won gold in the 3200-meter run with a time of 10:42.77.

The 4-by-400 meter relay, the last event of the day, had everyone on their toes.

Callie Swanson, Emery Campion, Estep, and Shaffer finished third at 3:54.90. However, Mallard Creek had eked their way into second place, beating the girls by 0.8 of a second.

This race had left both teams questioning who would take home the trophy at the end of the day. 

On the field, Bella Leonard won first place in pole vault, with an impressive mark of 12 feet, 9 inches, alongside her teammate Tessa Kranick, who won third with a mark of 11 feet.

The impressive work of all these athletes contributed to the significant win they took back home with them.

“After we won, I was so excited because everyone had put in so much hard work,” said sophomore Emery Campion.

The girls who also ran cross country and indoor track added this win to their collection, claiming the triple crown, as their third state championship of the year.

“I’m so proud of all my best friends and their commitment. This year will be the most memorable, and I’m sad to leave everything behind,” said senior Luci West.

May 17 will undoubtedly be a day for the whole girls’ team to remember.