Nash Central’s girls basketball standouts pull double duty in third-place indoor track finish

Nash Central’s girls indoor track and field team couldn’t have finished third in the state without the tired legs of two of its basketball players.

Michaela Nelms and Myia Spivey went to bed late last Friday after the Bulldogs’ final regular season game and woke up early Saturday to head to the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3A championships with a team title on the mind.

“Competing in two sports is tough both mentally and physically,” Nash Central coach Juan Jackson said. “And I must say, they performed.”

They didn’t get the team title, but 40 of Nash Central’s 44 points came from first-place finishes.

Nelms won the 300 (40.64) and Carisha Leonard took the 500 (1:17.81).

Neither one had ran their race much this year, Leonard because she had done other events and Nelms because she has been busy with basketball.

“I didn’t think I was going to win because this was only my third time (running it),” Leonard said. “I still don’t have any words for the race.”

Nelms was also running her race for just the third time this year. Her double effort won her the NCHSAA female athlete of the week award.

“Being that we were coming out of a basketball game, I didn’t think my legs were going to be prepared for this, but we ended up pulling it off and we’re really excited,” Nelms said.

Nelms, Spivey, Teona Hill and T’Keyah Macklin won the 4-by-200 relay (1:46.61).

“When I got the baton I knew we were out,” Hill said.

Macklin said she was “really nervous about it, but it turned out good and I’m really excited now.”

Later, they broke their own 3A state record in the 4-by-400 (4:07.43) thanks to Nelms, Macklin, Leonard and Hill.

Spivey (also fifth in the high jump) and Nelms were surprised at their successes.

“I didn’t think I was ready, so I’m just happy to be a state champ,” Spivey said.

This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 2:32 PM with the headline "Nash Central’s girls basketball standouts pull double duty in third-place indoor track finish."