NMB track teams win Alan Connie Relays

By John Smithson

The North Myrtle Beach High School boys and girls varsity track and field teams won the Alan Connie Relays last Saturday at The Hank.  Ten schools attended the event and competed in track team relay events and individual field events while compiling points for individual or team finishes.

Alan Connie was present for the start of the events and commented on what it means for the track season. “It’s great to be out here. This is always the kickoff of the outdoor track and field season in beautiful spring weather. This is such a beautiful facility for the athletes to compete in. It reminds me back when I started coaching at North Myrtle Beach High School in 1979. There was no track. We had to carve out our own grass or dirt track to practice on. Now we’ve got a first-class facility, and you can tell performances get better and better every year.”

“It’s just a great way to kick off the 2026 season. I am honored to have my name attached to this meet. That began the year after I retired from Coastal Carolina in 2015. So, this is the eleventh year of the Alan Connie Relays and it’s always an exciting event for me to attend, and I know from talking to some of the athletes how anxious and excited they are to get started,” Connie said.

There were a lot of events to get started and the gun went off first for the girls 1600 meter race. The Lady Chiefs Fenna Hollo and Robyn Walsh finished 1-2 in that event and compiled 10 points for the girls team. The girls got another 10 points finishing first in the 4×200 meter relay race.

West Florence won the 4×400 meter relay race and the Chiefs picked up 5 points for fourth place. The Chiefs were fourth again in the 1600 meter sprint medley relay and earned 5 more points. They finished second to St. James in the 4×800 meter relay for 8 points and third in the 800 meter sprint medley relay for 6 points. West Florence won that event.

The Chiefs distance team then won the 4000 meter distance medley relay with Fenna Hollo’s anchor leg securing the win and 10 points. In the women’s sprint/hurdle the Lady Chiefs took second behind Hartsville for 8 points.

Israfel Thomason was second behind Myrtle Beach’s Aliyah Livingston in the high jump. NMB’s Zoe Mandley was fourth. They earned 8 points. Sophie Hayes and Alexandra Hines were 1-2 in pole vault and earned 10 points. Naomi Reyes won the long jump for Hartsville but Brandi Gore and Mandley were second and third for the Chiefs with 8 more points.

Lucy Stalvey was sixth and Ravyn Walsh tenth in the triple jump, earning 4 points between them. Miya Clarke was second in the shot put and Khamani Owens fourth for 10 points. Clarke and Adrieanna Mackey were second and fifth in the discus for 8 points. Avery Speckman and Robyn Walsh were seventh and ninth in the javelin, earning 5 points. The Lady Chiefs team ended up in first place with 115 points. West Florence took second with 100 points and Hartsville third with 81 points.

In the varsity boys competition, the Chiefs earned 4 points in the 1600 meter run with Todd Braxton the top finisher in sixth place. Christopher Hardee was eleventh. The Chiefs were third in the 4×200 relay for 6 points. The Chiefs won the 4×400 relay over Myrtle Beach and picked up 10 points. The Chiefs were second to Hartsville in the 1600 meter sprint medley  relay for 8 points.

The Chiefs took third place in the 4×800 meter relay for 6 points in a race won by West Florence. In the 800 meter sprint medley relay the Chiefs won and earned 10 points. The Chiefs then came from behind in the final leg of the 4000 meter distance medley relay for a third-place finish and 6 points.

The Chiefs A sprint/hurdle team won the men’s finals and earned 10 points. Norvion Finklea and Primere Lewis were second and third in the high jump and got 8 points. Dylan Kemph took first and  Zandon McCurdy third place in the pole vault for 10 points. Braden Pagan was seventh and Bricey Gore tied for tenth in the men’s long jump for 4 points. They were eighth and tenth in the triple jump for 4 more points.

Keith Alison and Nigel Vereen were tenth and eleventh in the shot put for 5 points. Michael Jezierski and Thomas Moss were seventh and thirteenth in the discus and earned 5 points. Woody Cole and Michael Cavallini were ninth and thirteenth in the javelin and earned 3 points.

The Chiefs won the team event with 99 points. Hartsville was second with 97 points and West Florence took third with 90 points.