Even after winning his third straight N.C. high school 3,200-meter championship in record time, Chapel Hill senior Taylor Gilland still has something left in the tank.

Gilland's 9:01.68 Saturday at NCA&T University's Belk Track in Greensboro shattered the N.C. High School Athletic Association's record of Watagua High's Mike Clinebell, (9:08.24) set in 1986

Gilland's time was 6.56 seconds faster than Clineball's and even farther ahead of Saturday's runnerup, Mohammed Asbushouk of Cary (9:12.36). Asbushouk, a junior, finished third behind Gilland when the CHHS senior repeated as NCHSAA cross-country champion last fall.

"I feel like I might have done a little better if someone had gone out faster," Gilland said. "But he definitely started out fast. I like that. It allows me to relax the first couple of laps and let someone else worry about the pace."

Asbushouk set out on a quick pace, running the first four laps with only Gilland within 25 meters of him. Once Asbushouk's pace slowed slightly at the midpoint of the race, Gilland made his move and passed him with three laps to go.

"When Mo went out early, I had to go with him," Gilland said. "His pace helped make it possible for me to get the record. This is my last big 3,200 race of the year, so I just wanted to go after it as hard as I could."

But Gilland has goals remaining for his high school career. His 3,200 is part of Chapel Hill High School's distance medley team, along with sophomore Adam Colburn-Hertzberg (1,200 meters), junior Wes Sutter (800) and junior Liam Stott (400). The four prepsters are tuning up for the Nike Outdoor Nationals on the same Belk Track in Greensboro, June 18-19.

Gilland also hopes to run the 3,200 individually at Greensboro and at the USAT&F Junior Nationals June 25-28 at hallowed Hayward Field in Eugene. Ore.

A Personal Best For Baskir

East Chapel Hill junior Carolyn Baskir, a conference champion in cross country, showed she can run just as well on hard surfaces last weekend.

Her previous best in the 1,600 meters was 4:58.50, and that was at the Bojangles Relays in Apex back in March. She barely cracked five minutes in the PAC-6 Conference meet, running a 4:59.98, and she ran a 5:02.23 in the NCHSAA 4-A Mid-East Regional.

But she won both times, and she came up a winner again last weekend. In fact, she never trailed Saturday at Belk Track.

Baskir did the 1,600 meters in 4:56.87, a personal best, and beat NCHSAA defending champion Kimberly Spano of North Mecklenburg by four seconds.

That made Baskir the only local girl to win a title at the annual high school championships.

Southeast Raleigh won the NCHSAA girls' team championship with 54 points, edging Myers Park (48 points) and Matthews Butler (46). East Chapel Hill was 22nd with 10 points.

New Bern (46 points) won the boys' state title, followed by Mount Tabor (40) and Green Hope and Southeast Raleigh tied for third (32 each). Chapel Hill (25) finished ninth in the team standings. ECH (7) placed 30th.

CHHS senior Jared McAdoo, destined for UNC football next year, placed second in the shot put with a throw of 53-0, a personal record that was almost 3 feet better than his previous best of 50-5 in his first year of competitive track & field. CHHS football and field teammate Keegan Ray threw the discus 151 feet for fourth place in the championship meet.

East Chapel Hill sophomore Gabe Strathern took fifth in the high jump with a personal record of 6-4, and senior teammate Garret Hollingsworth (13-6.5) was sixth in the pole vault.

Wolves, Panthers win in the 2-A

Cardin Jones of Carrboro High School brought home a state title in the 400 meters, clocking an impressive 49.41. Carrboro schoolmate Kristina Witcher finished sixth in the 1,600 meters with a 5:31.18. Halsey Merritt of Cardinal Gibbons won the 1,600 with a 5:16.82 and Orange High's Emily Wirzba was runnerup at 5:21.17.

The Cedar Ridge girls were just as impressive, with the foursome of Olivia Capers, Madison Tilley, Molly Harkavy and Lindsey Fuller winning both the 400- and 800-relays.

Merritt also won the 3,200 with an 11:46.64, ahead of Laura Hamon of Carrboro (11:52.12) in second and Mackenzie Robinson of Orange in third (11:56.72).