RALEIGH — Andie Cozzarelli has five state track championships to her credit and she’ll be favored to win at least one more later this spring.

Despite that resume, which also features four runner-up finishes in the state cross country meet, the Apex senior didn’t think she was going to have a good day at Saturday’s Wake County Track and Field Championships.

“I was scared I was going to get beat today,” she said. “I thought I was out of shape. I guess not.”

Cozzarelli won the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters to pace Apex to a runner-up finish in the 19-team meet at Athens Drive. Southeast Raleigh won the girls’ title, compiling 112 points to Apex’s 97.5.

“Especially when you start looking at the conference meet is a week from now and regionals is a week and a half after that, you want to be in a position to see where you are when you’re measuring yourself against the better teams,” said Apex coach Roy Cooper. “That was a good performance on our part today.”

Cozzarelli won the 1,600 in 5:12.47 and the 3,200 in 11:23.62, and she was the only Cougar to win a race.

However, Apex received contributions throughout the meet. The Cougars scored in 14 of 18 events and were especially strong in the distance runs and relays.

In addition to Cozzarelli, Amanda Hamilton placed fourth in the 1,600 and Kersie Jhabvala was third in the 3,200. The 4x200 relay was second, the 4x400 relay was third and the 4x800 relay was third.

In the field, the Cougars picked up points from Jaimie Brown in the high jump (eighth, 4-8), long jump (sixth, 15-1.25) and triple jump (fourth, 34-4); Anna Sterlina (second, 9-6) and Kerri Sackmann (fifth, 8-6) in the pole vault; Jillian Ingle in the long jump (fifth, 15-8); Kendra Douglas in the triple jump (fifth, 33-6); and Karen Schormann in the shot put (third, 34-11).

“The field events don’t always get seen, and those are some valuable points,” Cooper said.

Cary’s girls also had a strong showing, coming in fourth place with 55 points, just three points behind third-place Wakefield.

The Imps were paced by their 4x800 relay team, which was made up of four freshmen who had never run the event together. Entering Saturday, the best time Cary had logged in the event was 10:12. With new additions Morgan Stephensen and Deanna Foshee running the first two legs and mainstays Sheridan Jordan and Jenna Christensen running the last two, the Imps won it in 9:48.70.

“That’s a nice little drop, and with four freshman, too,” said Cary coach Jerry Dotson. “They really ran well.”

Other top finishers for Cary included Kristen Azarelo (second in the 1,600) and Jennifer Boozer (third in the pole vault).

Cary boys third

Cary sophomore Mohammed Abushouk wants to qualify for the state championship meet in the 3,200, among the deepest events in the talent-rich Mideast Region.

He made a giant step toward reaching that goal Saturday by winning the 3,200 at the Wake County Championships in a personal-best time of 9:47.18.

“I PR-ed by seven seconds,” Abushouk said. “I wanted under 9:50.”

Abushouk’s win in the two-mile and Amanuel Michael’s win in the high jump highlighted the day for the Imps, who finished third with 66 points. Southeast Raleigh won the boys’ title with 108.

In the high jump, Micael had never cleared higher than 6-2. After the bar was raised to 6-4, he cleared it on his second attempt.

Though he had already won the title after the rest of the field failed to clear the same height, the bar was raised to 6-6. Again, on his second attempt, Micael cleared the bar to set a personal best for the second time in less than a half hour.

“I felt like it was going to happen sooner or later,” Micael said. “Wake County Championships gave me the competition to push myself to that next level.”

He also noted the competition he gets every day in practice helps, too. Michael Graham, who finished third Saturday, is the reigning indoor high jump state jump. And Carl Chaney, who coaches the jumpers, was a two-time state runner-up while a student Cary.

Like Cary, Green Hope (47 points, seventh place) and Apex (37 points, 10th place) had two athletes win two events.

Green Hope’s Zak Roshdy led almost the entire race and won the 1,600 in 4:28, and the Falcons’ 4x800 relay team (Brian Pahle, Taylor Dunham, Ryan Walling and Gabe Reynolds) won its race in 8:19.30.

For Apex, Kevin Fogg won the triple jump at 45-10.5, topping the field by almost two feet. And Bob Vanderham won the 800 meters in 1:58.88.

In the 800, Vanderham overtook Southeast’s Paris Reddick-Simmons heading into the final turn and held off Broughton’s Jack Wheless down the homestretch to hang on for the win.

“[Reddick-Simmons] was flying and I had to tell myself he’s not going to make it all the way,’” Vanderham said. “I was able to stay back and get him in the end.”

Notable finishes

For the girls: Green Hope’s Karen Kazaglis won the pole vault, clearing 10 feet. … Athens Drive’s Nancy McLeod won the discus with a throw of 110-8. … Panther Creek’s Emily Whitfield won the 300 hurdles in 47.83 seconds and Elizabeth Whitfield was third in 48.49. … Middle Creek’s Jessica Van Hulst was second in the high jump, clearing 5 feet. … Middle Creek’s Sheila Delhagen placed third in the 800 meters in 2:26.68.

For the boys: Athens’ Marc Campbell won the discus with a throw of 141 feet. … Green Hope’s Patrick Moakley was third in the 400 meters in 50.40. … Green Hope’s Scott Hefner was third in the 1,600 meters in 4:29.60. … Cary’s 4x200 relay team (Rickey Gracy, Morgan Harris, Andrew Hill and Brian Wilson) finished third in 1.33.10. … Athens’ 4x800 relay team (Hakeem Atwater, Stephen Page, Randy Griggs and Alex Dawson) was second in 8:23.20. … Athens Drive’s Bryron Newberry was second in the high jump, clearing 6-2. … Cary’s Michael Graham was third in the high jump, clearing 6-2. … Cary’s Andrew Hill was third in the long jump with a leap of 21-3.75.