Jawan Butler-Stevens sure has a knack for jumping.
In basketball, his athleticism helped him become one of Carolina Forest’s leading scorers.
His flair for flying through the air has also found a niche on the varsity track and field team, particularly in the high jump, where he’s aiming especially high.
“I’m aiming for a goal of clearing 6-6,” Butler-Stevens said. “I want to win states and I want to place in the Taco Bell [Classic].”
Butler-Stevens has come close to reaching his goal of 6-6.
A couple of weeks ago, he set a personal best of 6-4 in a home track meet. He nearly matched the feat in Saturday’s Beach Run Invitational, his feet clipping the bar on his first attempt, and scratching on his final two attempts to finish at 6-2.
Still, he placed second in the Beach Run, which features hundreds of athletes from 30 schools in more than a dozen states.
“I could’ve cleared it,” he said of the 6-4 threshold. “But overall, today was a good day. Second place isn’t bad.”
In addition to his second place finish in the high jump, Butler-Stevens also placed eighth in the long jump, clearing 19-10. He picked up nine points of the team’s 10 points.
“Not everyone can do the high jump. You can still be a good athlete and not be able to do the high jump,” he said. “It takes more than athleticism. It’s a mindset and all about technique.”
As a team, the Carolina Forest boys’ team placed 21st in the 30-team field.
Other notable finishers included Stephen Ciaramitaro, who took the podium after placing eighth in the 3,200-meter run at 10:47.85. He also placed ninth in the 1,600-meter at 4:48.98.
Mikey Pieterse wasn’t far behind, clocking in at 4:49.49 in the 1,600-meter.
Liam Zevgolis took ninth in the 2,000-meter steeplechase at 7:23.33. Austin Copley was 10th in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles at 1:00.36 and Nick Beale was 12th in the 800-meter at 2:08.4.
“The boys track team performed well at Saturday’s Beach Run Invitational,” said CFHS boys’ coach JJ Iagulli. “Overall, most of the team members had ‘season best’ performances.
In girls’ action, the Lady Panthers placed seventh in the 29-team women’s field. Leading the way for Carolina Forest was standout distance runner Lisa Pieterse, who placed first in the 3,200-meter (11:27.58) and third in the 1,600-meter. Pieterse was easily the favorite in the 3,200-meter. She’s a defending state champion in that event, won the 3,200-meter in the 2013 Beach Run Invitational and her seed time of 11:30 was 16 seconds faster than the nearest competitor.
Her final time of 11:27.58 was nearly three seconds faster than her seed, but still about 21 seconds off the meet record of 11:06.39. Pieterse picked up 16 points in both events, accounting for more than half of the Lady Panthers’ 31 team points.
Three other Carolina Forest track and field athletes took the podium Saturday. Eighth grader Kayla Watkins took fourth in the high jump (5-0) and sixth in the long jump (16-4), while Caitlyn Penter won sixth in the 1,600-meter in 5:47.58. In throwing events, Erin Farley placed seventh in the discus at 96-6. “Hundreds of athletes from 30 schools competed in the two-day meet,” CFHS girls’ coach Sandra Henson said. “The CFHS girls [accomplished] an amazing feat with a limited number of athletes competing in a limited number of events.”
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