Davis Kendall dashes to another state title
Owen sophomore takes gold in NCHSAA 1A/2A Indoor track & field state championship
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 12, 2023
Owen sophomore Davis Kendall, who led the Warhorse soccer team to its first state title in November, collects his second state championship, Feb. 11, at the NCHSAA 1A/2A Indoor Track & Field State Championship. Photo courtesy of Maggie Jones
Less than three months after leading the Warhorse soccer team to its first NCHSAA title, Davis Kendall is a state champion again.
The Owen sophomore, one of four athletes from the school to qualify for the NCHSAA 1A/2A Indoor Track & Field State Championship, held Feb. 11, in Winston-Salem, raced to a gold medal in the 500 meter dash.
Kendall, who scored 50 goals for the Owen soccer team in the fall, entered Saturday’s competition at the JBL Fast Track as the top-seeded runner in the event. He held off second-place finisher, Colton Davis of the Community School of Davidson, with a time of 1:07.82.
Owen senior Elijah Jones, left, finished second in 1,600 meter run at the NCHSAA 1A/2A Indoor Track & Field State Championship, Feb. 11. Jones returned to the podium to receive a third place medal for his showing in the 3,200 meter race. Photo courtesy of Maggie Jones
While Kendall was the only Owen runner to come away with a title, his teammate, senior Elijah Jones, returned to the Swannanoa Valley with a pair of medals. The distance runner, who led the Warhorse cross country team to a state championship in the fall, earned a silver medal in the 1,600 meter run and a bronze in the 3,200 meter race. Jones, who set a school record with a personal best time of 4:22.50 in the 1,600 meter event, ran a total of 27 laps while competing in two state championship events.
The Owen indoor track & field program, which was established two years ago, was also represented in the state championship meet by senior Tad Sloan-Westmoreland, who finished fifth in the 1,000 meter run. Sophomore Keron Clayton qualified for the 300 meter dash, but a false start prevented him from completing the event.