SOUTHERN PINES — The Richmond Senior High School girls’ indoor track and field team started 2026 in a big way during a meet last Friday.
One of 11 high schools competing in the Patriot Polar Bear Meet at Pinecrest High School, the Lady Raiders racked up 17 top-five finishes.
However, unlike other meets this season, no final team scores were published.
Having herself a day was senior state-qualifier Ka’mora Watkins, who ended the meet with victories in three events. Recording Richmond’s fourth and final win was junior Glenisha Thomas.
Watkins finished atop the podium in the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches), the long jump (16 feet, 9 inches) and the triple jump (32 feet, 11 inches). Finishing the sweep of wins in the field events, Thomas won the shot put with a throw of 28 feet, 7.5 inches.
The Lady Raiders recorded four second-place times by two individuals and one relay team. Earning a pair of second-place results was freshman Shamia Williams in the 55-meter dash (7.77 seconds) and the long jump (16 feet, 3 inches).
Fellow freshman Nahryah Covington also placed second, clocking in at 45.31 seconds in the 300-meter dash. Richmond’s 4x200-meter relay team made its two laps around the track in 1:52.77, finishing second to Pinecrest (1:52.52).
Recording four third-place finishes, the Lady Raiders earned those in the 300-meter dash, the 55-meter hurdles, the 4x400-meter relay and the 4x800-meter relay.
Junior Angelina Culbreth ran the open 300 in 45.85 seconds and sophomore Chrislynn Culley finished the 55-meter hurdles in 10.88 seconds.
The Lady Raiders’ 4x400-meter relay team completed the mile run in 5:06.75 and the 4x800-meter lineup clocked in at 12:24.42.
Covington, Williams and junior Ava Edwards each recorded one fourth-place finish. In the open 55, Covington completed the dash in 7.92 seconds.
Williams nabbed her third top-five finish with a distance of 29 feet, 5 inches in the triple jump, and Edwards was just behind Culley in the 55 hurdles (11.41 seconds).
Richmond’s two fifth-place finishes belonged to junior Emely Valencia in the 1000-meter run (4:01.87) and freshman Natelie Everett in the long jump (13 feet, 4 inches).
