For the fifth year in a row, Davie has had an individual state champion at the NCHSAA 7A State Meet—and this spring, the War Eagles took home two. Seniors Clara Phelps and Austin Sweet each took first in the pole vault, making it the first time in state history for two athletes of the same team to win in pole vaulting.
But success wasn’t just limited to these two seniors, and it didn’t happen in isolation. This season was the capstone on a year that had already rewritten program history. Coach Rob Raisbeck describes the year as one of “tremendous success.” And it’s hard to disagree with him given everything the program has achieved. For the first time in school history, both boys and girls cross country teams qualified for the state championships in the same season. The indoor track season built off this momentum with multiple athletes qualifying for states. By the outdoor season, that success was undeniable.
For many of the War Eagles, track is a year-round commitment. Many of the names that continue to resurface are the result of continued dedication throughout the year. Freshman Kristen Starkey and senior Lexi Marion are two of these athletes. Both have trained relentlessly since June 2025, working hard to improve their personal bests in every season. Starkey set her PR in the 1600m at 5:03 at the NPC Conference Championships, and Marion set hers in the 800m at 2:23 at the 7A West Regional meet.
Next year will see Marion running both cross country and track at Winthrop University. Her commitment to running at the next level came at the end of a successful cross country season that played a pivotal role not only in her success throughout the year, but the team’s as well.
“Cross country gave me the confidence to be able to run well in the winter and spring,” Marion said. “I had struggled with some mental setbacks for about a year going into cross, and I worked through them during the season, which helped.”
In her senior year, Marion and other upperclassmen went beyond their roles at athletes, taking newer athletes under their wings and serving as mentors for them. Freshman Addalyn Steelman cited Marion in particular as being a “role model” for her whose supportive and encouraging words created a “positive environment” for her and her teammates. Even though this sport is mainly competed individually, the teammates’ relationships were a major factor in the accomplishments of the athletes this season. It is this aspect of the team in particular that Coach Raisbeck believes played the biggest role in their success.
“Our seniors have done a great job mentoring our younger team members,” Raisbeck said. “Our freshmen and sophomores are quickly learning how to train smartly, resulting in great improvement over the course of the year.”
As a result of this supportive environment and mentorship from both coaches and teammates, a number of younger athletes made a great deal of progress this season. Sophomore Carrington Pitcher dropped from 13.10 to 12.60 in the 100m, while freshman Reese Rye made an impact with her strong performance of 1:03.10 in the 400m.
Outside the track, freshman Layla Hazlip continued to put up impressive numbers week to week. While she did not win a state championship this year, her longest throw of 114-8 earned her the status of top-ranking freshman in the state in the discus event.
Chasing Championships
While many other meets held great opportunities, there’s no doubt that the championship races held the most impressive performances.
Davie had a total of 86 entries in the NPC Conference Championships on April 29. A series of strong performances by several of Davie’s athletes led the girls’ and boys’ teams to 3rd- and 4th-place finishes, respectively. These athletes brought all of the energy to the track, and it was directly reflected in their results.
With the conclusion of the NPC Conference Championships, a handful of athletes attended the 7A West Regional meet on May 9. A majority of athletes competed in relays, with only two individual runners and seven competing in field events. Although the number of athletes was much smaller, the meet saw the War Eagles pull out many standout performances. In the 3200, freshman Kristen Starkey took 3rd in the region with a time of 10:50.05. Both the girls’ and boys’ 4x400m teams had exceptional performances, finishing with times of 4:29.33 and 3:42.20, respectively.
Of the regional qualifiers, nine athletes progressed to the NCHSAA 7A State Meet on May 15, all distinguishing themselves with impressive performances. Of particular note was the 4x800m team—consisting of senior Ethan Lakey, junior Jacob Steelman, freshman Jaxon Gay, and sophomore Avery Van Lente—which set a new school record by 4 seconds, finishing with a time of 8:14.32. For Gay, this record was a testament to the mentality he held throughout his first season on the team.
“During track, I would always strive to be the very best, yet I wasn’t, so I pushed my body to its max every day, and I kept on getting better and better,” Gay said. “Track is hard, but it makes you a better person.”
Additionally, seniors Austin Sweet and Clara Phelps took first in their events: Sweet cleared 14-06.00 and is currently in the NC top 10, while Phelps—who currently holds NC #1 for girls’ pole vault and will continue her career at UNC Wilmington—cleared 13-00.00. Phelps was overwhelmed by her victory at the state meet.
“When I realized I won, I started tearing up,” Phelps said. “I was very emotional because it was the perfect end to my senior season and I felt like all the hard work was worth it.”
This year’s successes are a testament to a work ethic that has driven so many of Davie’s athletes, both new and experienced, to continue to set records and persevere despite setbacks. Looking ahead, Raisbeck is optimistic that the trend will continue as a new year approaches
“Our future continues to be very bright,” Raisbeck said, “and we can’t wait to see what exciting accomplishments next year will bring.”
