With the 2023 Track and Field season coming to a close, the Dubs have kicked off the home stretch with a bang. In a competition held at Lakewood Stadium on March 25-29, 2023, the Dubs ran away from the competition at the APS championships for a second straight year edging out rivals Midtown on both the girls and boys sides. With strong performances from every discipline, the Dubs are looking strong heading into region and hope to once again make their way to state.

The boys side saw an all around amazing performance with countless athletes stepping up to deliver top performances across both days of competition. On the field the Dubs were led by Amir Stevenson, Allen Smith and Gabriel Hull. Senior Amir Stevenson had yet another terrific triple jumping performance with a 44-6, placing him second at the meet and top 25 in the state. Senior Allen Smith was one of only two athletes to break 6ft in the high jump with a GA top 25 jump of 6-4, placing him first. Sophomore Gabriel Hull managed an impressive 11-6 jump in the pole vault giving him 2nd place honors. This field success more than carried over to the track, and the Dubs continued to dominate their district competition. In the sprints, the Dubs 4-by-1 took home silver and had strong performances in the 100m and 400m as well. It was in the distance, however, where the Dubs stole the show. The Warriors came out swinging with a 4-by-8 victory on day 1 followed by another stellar Sumner Kirsch performance with a first place finish in the 1600 with a time of. Adding to that impressive feat were strong performances by teammates Truman Thompson and Holt Harris who finished 3rd and 5th respectively. On day two, freshman studs Randall Kirsch and Garner Howerton went 1 and 2 in the 800 meter run and junior Teddy Meredith and freshman Cabell Townsend went 2 and 3 in the 3200 meter run. Despite all of this success, there was one man who was the star of the show. Senior Carl Murray, one of the top sprinters in the state, dominated the field in every event he participated in with a first place finish in the 100 meter dash and 200 meters dash. The sterling and versatile athlete, who already has Division One track scholarship offers from Boston College and South Carolina, also proved dominant in the long jump and finished fifth. This tour-de-force performance meant the all-state Murray earned the meet’s top all-around athlete award. “I will say that this was one of my favorite days in my career and I’m just really glad that I was able to represent my school this day at the district meet,” Murray said. “I’ll always remember this day.” 

While the boys were having a breakout day, the girls teams also made a dominant statement that North Atlanta is the ranking district champion. The girls dominated their competition and ran away from Midtown in the final stages of the tournament. Standouts on the field included Junior Mia Stimpson, Sophomore Charlotte Brown and Junior Tori Sadler. Stimpson came out of the tournament with a 34-5 triple jump placing her third. Brown continued to dominate the pole vault with a first place vault of 9-6, putting her in the GA top 50. Tori Sadler had an incredibly strong performance with a second place long jump of 16-11. She added on to this field success with a 6th place finish in the 400 meter dash. On the track the Dubs girls saw standout performances from every discipline. In the sprints Senior Camille Williams had a standout day. With a GA top 25 time of 57.29 seconds in the 400 meters securing a gold medal headlining her day, she complimented this impressive feat with a fifth place finish in both the 100 meters and 200 meters. In the Distance, Junior Catherine Townsend dominated with a first place finish in the 1600 meter run and a second place finish in the 800 meters. These were complemented by fellow runners Malley Coogan and Sarah Anne Hamilton who also posted impressive times in both events. The real star of the show however, was Senior Kayleigh Stargell. She dominated the field events winning both the triple and long jump and managed two extremely impressive second place finishes in the 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles. This outstanding performance also earned her the meet’s top all-around athlete award. “It was an honor to represent the Dubs as we took home the gold,” Said Stargell. “I can’t wait to see what we can do in the region and at state.”

Track and Field Coach Bryce Doe said he was gratified to see his team dig in and win the championship again. All in all, the four-year coach said it was a banner day for the Dubs. “We work so hard all year long and it means a lot when we’re able to see it all come to fruition,” Doe said. “When these young people put their minds to it, great things follow.”

When it comes to APS Track and Field dominance, the road to excellence begins and ends at 4111 Northside Parkway. Run for glory, Dubs!