By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
The thrill of competing in a 400-meter relay excited Southeast Ala-mance sophomore speedster Joseph Gibbs.
He and his teammates provided exhilarating moments in the Class 5A state championships.
“It’s the most fun,” Gibbs said of the event. “We are all working as a team. When everything is perfect and we can make all those handoffs, it can work out.”
The Stallions claimed the state title in the event last month at North Carolina A&T.
Gibbs, who participated in his first state meet, was second in Southeast’s lineup after Jatay McMillian and then he was followed by Isaiah Tumey and Marquis Burnette to complete the race in 42.60 seconds. Among the quartet, only Burnette is a senior.
Southeast took the lead during Tumey’s leg of the race and finished strong ahead of runner-up Monroe (42.90).
“We were confident,” McMillian said. “We came in with that mentality that we would win.”
For Southeast, a third-year school, it’s the school’s first gold medal in a state track and field meet.
“I thought we had a really good shot,” Southeast coach Bryce McCul-ley said. “Even better when Tumey took the lead.”
McCulley credited assistant coach Eddie Stone’s work with the unit.
“Our handoffs were perfect,” McCulley said.
Still, the Stallions had produced an even faster time during a regular-season meet.
Gibbs and McMillian are receivers for Southeast’s football team. Tumey is a running back.
