BENSON — Greater Neuse River Conference schools Knightdale and Southeast Raleigh ruled the day in the NCHSAA Class 4A East Regional track and field championships at West Johnston High School on Saturday.

The Knights outdistanced the field to take the boys’ crown with 122 points, followed by Scotland with 67 and Wilmington Hoggard (58.5). Southeast was fourth with 56 points and Fayetteville Jack Britt earned fifth with 51 points.

The girls’ championship came down to the final race. West Johnston led 94-87 over Southeast Raleigh with one event left, but the Bulldogs’ 1,600-meter relay team of Tametris Morriso, Charity Lackey, Jacklyn Howell and Kaylie Loyd won in 3:58.91 to pick up 10 points. West Johnston’s quartet (Lauren Pollard, Jasmine Dawson, Tori Strickland Teri Strickland) was seventh, thus giving Southeast a 97-96 victory.

“Everything we do is about our discipline,” said Knightdale boys’ coach David Prince-Castell. “We worked real hard in the off-season and the kids are dedicated to our philosophy. The difference between this year and last year is we were not as strong in the middle distances and we put an emphasis on that this year. Combining that with sprints put us in a great position.”

Joseph Horton won the 100 (10.71 seconds) and 200 (21.67) for Knightdale’s boys. The Knights also took top honors in the 400 relay (Horton, Khalid Powell, Da’Quan Smalls and Kimai Hoffman) in 42.18, the 800 relay (Horton, Powell, Smalls and Marquavious Johnson) in 1:28.11 and the 1,600 relay (Myles White, Powell, Henry Kiedy and Johnson) in 3:18.89.

The Southeast girls were led by Tametris Morriso, who won the 300 hurdles in 43.76 and was part of the winning 1,600 relay team (3:58.91) along with Charity Lackey, Jacklyn Howell and Loyd. Deja Barber won the 100 wheelchair (45.45) and the shot put wheelchair crown (5-05.50). The Bulldogs also were victorious in the 400 relay in 48.19 (Howell, Brittany Anderson, Kayla Chavis and Ama-Selina Tchume).

“Actually, we didn’t expect it to come down to the last race because we attempted to strategically place some people in different events where we thought we would be able to get a little bit of cushion before it got to the last race,” Southeast coach Liz Gary said.

“When we learned it was coming down to the last race (1,600 relay), we talked to them and told them what was on the line. Even though they were beat up and tired, they stepped up.”

Southeast Raleigh’s Jaylon Holt won the high jump (6-06) and Jamaree Murray took the 400 (49.06). The Bulldogs also won the 3,200 relay in 8:04.56 (Robert Williams, James Branch, David Conner and Elijah Reid).

West Johnston’s Jeremy Gower won the 3,200 in 9:39.77.

On the girls’ side, West Johnston’s Dakota Foskey won the 3,200 in 11:21.41, shattering the old record of 11:42.79 by Lexie Schustrom of Pinecrest in 2009. The Wildcats’ Jasmine Dawson captured the 200 in 24.83, beating the old record of 24.85 established by Alexis Murphy of Holly Springs in 2009, and also won the 100 in 12.29.

The Wildcats’ 3,200 relay team (Lauren Pollard, Maegan Weeks, Scarlett Beamon and Foskey) was first in 9:34.60 and the 800 relay squad (Hannah Ballard, Dawson, Teri Strickland and Tori Strickland) won in 1:43.48.

Clayton had two regional champions: Kristen Duncan in the pole vault (10 feet) and Mollie Williams in the 100 hurdles (14.50).

Garner produced a regional champion in Domoniee Douglas, who won the high jump (5-04).

Green: 919-553-7234