Warhorses run hard to claim second in the state

Owen athletes earn individual titles in two events

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 21, 2023

Owen senior Jaheem O’Hara claimed an individual state championship, May 20, in the 800 meter run. The Warhorses finished second in the state at the NHCSAA 2A Track and Field State Championship. Photo courtesy of Maggie Jones

Multiple Warhorse runners captured individual titles, May 20, as the track and field team finished second in the NCHSAA 2A State Championship meet in Greensboro.

Jaheem O’Hara earned gold in the 800 meter race, while teaming up with fellow senior Tad Sloan-Westmoreland and sophomores Owen Lollis and Davis Kendall to finish first in the 4x400 meter relay. 

Owen, which entered the contest as the second ranked team, scored 63 points, falling 2 short of state champion, T.W. Andrews. Warhorse athletes collected silver medals in five events. 

O’Hara ran to a personal best and school record of 1:54.81 in his 800 meter victory. The future UNC Asheville runner, and key member of Owen’s state champion cross country team, added another to his collection as a member of the 4x400 relay team.

The relay team claimed gold with a late charge by Kendall, who came back from the third spot in the final lap to close out a dramatic 3:27.69 Warhorse run. 

The Warhorse 4x800 meter relay team, which featured, from left to right: Tad Sloan-Westmoreland, Elijah Jones, Jaheem O’Hara and Josh Hollowell, earned one of five silver medals for the school, May 20, in the NCHSAA 2A Track and Field State Championship. Photo courtesy of Maggie Jones

Kendall turned in a second-place performance in the 400 meter dash, with a personal best of 49.36. He also partnered with sophomores Trevae Woodyard and Keron Clayton and senior Kameron Moore for a silver medal in the 4x200 relay. 

Woodyard, who was presented with the sportsmanship award, ran to a silver medal in the 300 meter hurdles.

Senior Elijah Jones added to Owen’s haul of silver medals with a time of 9:39.88 in the 3,200 meter run. Jones teamed up with fellow 4x800 meter relay runners, O’Hara, Sloan-Westmoreland and Josh Hollowell, to secure another piece of hardware.

The Warlassies were represented in two events, as the 4x800 relay team of Piper Berry, Peyton Draper, Lilly Cody and Nevaeh Perkins started in the 10th position before turning in a ninth-place time of 10:51.32. Perkins also finished 13th in the 400 meter dash.

The Warhorses established four school records in the meet to close out a historic season in which Owen captured a Western Highlands Conference championship and the first 2A West Regional title in the history of the program.