The North Carolina track community now probably knows where Princeton is. Most of them probably found it on the map after Saturday’s 1-A State track and field championships at North Carolina A&T.

Four first place finishes as well as Jania Bogle’s MVP award grabbed lots of attention at the meet, held at Irwin Belk track.

“It’s pretty phenomenal,” said Princeton boys' track coach Joe Mitchell of the Bulldogs' performance. “My first two years here we had eight kids come out for track. This year, I think, has been the turning point.”

The Bulldogs' girls team, including MVP Bogle, is coached by Uvonda Wilson.

After sniffing the Most Valuable Performer award last year, winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes, Bogle repeated those victories and added a second place performance in the long jump to give her the nod.

Bogle, in just her third year of track after taking up the sport when her middle school basketball coach suggested it, had no trouble winning both the preliminary and final versions of both races.

“I’m real happy with what happened,” said Bogle, a junior. “My start in the 100 was not as good. I thought I was going to get passed but I pushed out a little bit more at the end.”

Bogle leaned forward at the finish line to finish a mere .06 seconds ahead of Leroya Banks of Perquimans. She failed to meet her personal best of 11.8 seconds that she earned in the regional meet, but set a new best time in the 200 meter with 25.3 seconds.

“I always want to do well in the 100 and 200,” she said.

Bogle’s performance in the long jump earned her a sliver medal for the second year in a row.

“She doesn’t work as much on her long jump,” said Mitchell. “That she’s still able to get second in the state just shows how good an athlete she is.”

Both Princeton squads finished 10th in the team rankings. The girls finished with three more points than the boys, with 28.

Sophomore T.J. Wilson won state championships in the 300 hurdles and the triple jump to help Princeton accumulate 25 points as a team in the boys competition.

“I surprised myself winning the 300,” said Wilson. “I was trying to see if I could sprint between each hurdle. I felt like I pushed it a little too hard. I thought I was going to get caught.”

That never happened as Wilson improved from his secondplace time in the preliminaries. Wilson was almost a second better (38.86) to top Bryon Jordan of Southside (40.07).

The basketball and football player took the triple jump as he out leapt D.J. McClendon of Thomasville by nearly three inches with a jump of 44 feet, two inches. Wilson improved dramatically from his eighth place showing at the 2007 state meet.

“I was feeling all along I could win the triple jump,” Wilson said. “My second phase could have been better though.

“I couldn’t stretch out like I wanted to.”

Among other area competitors, the North Johnston 4x800 girls’ relay team finished 12th.

Panthers’ senior Elizabeth Baker set a personal record by running the 1600-meter run in 6:07. After coming in third in the mile and two-mile runs at the regional meet, Baker came in 12th in both the 1600 and 3200.

“The girls that are here for us deserve to be here,” said North Johnston coach Tim Jones. “We’ve worked hard all year and I’m proud of them.”

Ashley Knight placed 12th in the triple jump for the Panthers.