GREENSBORO - The N.C. High School Athletic Association 2-A girls track and field championships might as well have been the Mid-State conference meet.

Three teams from that conference finished in the top three spots; Burlington Cummings won with a score of 109, followed by Cardinal Gibbons (80.5) and Cedar Ridge (67).

"It really is a testament to the depth of our conference," Cedar Ridge coach Lou Geary said.

Held at Irwin Belk Track at N.C. A&T, both girls and boys competed. No boys team from the Triangle placed high -- though some boys fared well individually.

For the girls, Cardinal Gibbons won both the 1,600-meter (4:11.97) and 3,200-meter (9:55.84) relay events.

In the 1,600-meter event, Cardinal Gibbons senior Heather Beichner set a 2-A state record (4:57.05) in her victory. The race and the record were on her mind the entire year. She came up about a second short of the previous record last year.

"I'm very happy to end my high school running career -- my last mile -- this way," said Beichner, who won the race three years in a row.

Teammate Sarah Rapp took second place (5:16.62) while Durham School of Arts' Margaret O'Brien was third (5:26.29).

Beichner also won the 800-meter run (2:18.61).

In the 3,200-meter run Rapp took second place (11:38.24) and Halsey Merritt finished in third place (11:57.08) for Cardinal Gibbons.

Cedar Ridge senior Jordan Lee took second place in both the high jump (5-04) and the pole vault (9-06). She was happy with the way things went, though she admitted she had hoped to take first in both events.

"It's kind of sad because it's my senior year," said Lee, who is looking forward to competing for Elon University. "I'm sad to leave my team and coaches."

Also for Cedar Ridge, Lindsey Fuller won the 100-meter dash, with a time of 12.40 and took third in the 200 meters (25.62).

In the 400-meter dash, the Wolves' Olivia Capers took second with a time of 58.94.

Cedar Ridge's relay teams won a pair of silver medals in the 400-meter (50.46) and 800-meter (1:44.84) relay events.

For the boys, Northwood senior Tobias Palmer, an N.C. State football and track recruit, won the 100 meters with a time of 10.58. He ran an 11.09 at regionals.

"This was my last chance," said Palmer, who wanted to win badly after taking sixth last year and second place as a sophomore.

"I knew this had to be my year. This had to be."

Also for Northwood, Brandon Fair took third place in the long jump (21-3.0).

In the 800-meter run, Kwame Boatwright took third for Durham School of Arts with a time of 1:58.72.

Perhaps one of the most competitive races was the 1,600-meter run, where Cedar Ridge senior Jeremy Gerlach duked it out with conference friend and rival Mark Sullivan, a sophomore at Cardinal Gibbons.

Both were seated near the middle of the pack after so-so times at regionals last week. But that was fine with them.

"I knew we could run faster," Sullivan said. "We both had bad days at regionals."

Said Gerlach: "We run well as underdogs. ...

"The only reason I did that good was Mark came up from behind and pushed me."

Gerlach had hoped to win this state race "since the first time I stepped on the track in seventh grade."

He found irony in achieving his goal on his final high school mile.

"It's not going to hit me until tonight," he said.