BAILEY — Jacobi Jenkins sprinted toward the finish line one more time early Wednesday night.

Jenkins pumped his arms and he lifted his legs, his black-and-red Nike spikes flashing in the light that remained from a burning sun, and, without a shout or a cry or so much as a smile, he crossed the line first, picked up another win and walked toward a bench in the infield. Only five minutes later, after he realized what he had accomplished and what his team was about to accomplish, did he manage to crack a laugh.

Jenkins picked up three individual wins Wednesday at the NEW 6 Conference track & field championship meet at Southern Nash, in the 110-meter high hurdles and the 100 and 200 dashes, to lead the charge for the Gryphons. He finished second in the 300 hurdles by one one-hundredth of a second, the only blemish on an otherwise perfect day. The rest of the Gryphons, though not as spectacular, were perfect.The boys picked up their first conference championship in 12 years and the girls rolled to their sixth straight conference crown.

The boys grabbed an early lead, then held on and held off the Nash Central Bulldogs, who surged late and closed to within 10 points with one event remaining.

"We are always working for this," Rocky Mount boys' coach Dee Anna Davis said. "We have had a few years where we have been second and we have had a few years where we have been third. And it feels good to finally get this."

Jenkins, the individual boys' MVP, and the rest of the Rocky Mount seniors were in kindergarten the last time the team grabbed the Big East Conference championship, back in 1996. The Gryphons failed to repeat the feat during their last nine seasons in the Big East and their first two in the NEW 6.

"This," Jenkins said, "is big."

The Rocky Mount girls turned in a big performance, too. Real big.

Though the Gryphons managed to win only two of 14 individual events, they placed at least one athlete in the top three in every event except the high jump, pole vault and 3,200 run, and sprinted to team wins in all four relays. Oh, and they scored 204.5 points, more than the second- and third-place teams combined.

"The girls put in the work," Rocky Mount girls' coach Keith Barnes said. "But there is always another challenge."

A handful of other athletes finished with big days for themselves and their teams.

Rocky Mount sprinter Zikeena Parker won the 100 and 200 dashes, finished second in the 400 dash and picked up the individual girls' MVP.

Southern Nash distance runner Miranda Johnson hurled her watch aside in the last lap to remain focused and win the 1,600 run, the sprinted from behind on the home stretch to win the 800 run.

Southern Nash jumps specialist Laura Langley, the 2007 Telegram All-Area Girls' Track & Field Athlete of the Year, won the triple jump and the pole vault.

Nash Central all-around athlete Jasmine S. Williams finished first in the high jump and the 400 dash.

SouthWest Edgecombe thrower Denise Harrison finished first in both the shot put and the discus.

Northern Nash distance runner Zack Brantley held off challengers in both the 1,600 and 3,200 runs to pick up a pair of repeat conference championship wins.

Nash Central all-around athlete Danny Allen won the triple jump and pushed through the 300 hurdles to beat Jenkins by that lone one-hundredth of a second.

"Danny is a hard runner," Jenkins said. "You have to give respect where respect is due."

Which means, this season, you have to give respect to the Gryphons, too.

Matt LaWell can be reached at 407-9952 or mlawell@coxnc.com

TRACK & FIELD

At Southern Nash

BOYS' TEAM SCORES: Rocky Mount High 163, Nash Central 151, Wilson Fike 98, Northern Nash 80, Southern Nash 57, SouthWest Edgecombe 4

GIRLS' TEAM SCORES: Rocky Mount High 204.5, Nash Central 101, Southern Nash 92.5, Northern Nash 61, SouthWest Edgecombe 42, Wilson Fike 18

BOYS' RESULTS: Shot Put – 1. Deonte Jones (RMH) 48-06; 2. Stacey Howard (SN) 43-11; 3. Devin Evans (NC) 43-07; Discus – 1. Jordan Crudup (NC) 132-08; 2. Matt Battle (RMH) 130-06.25; 3. Jermaine Fields (RMH) 121-06.5; Triple jump – 1. Danny Allen (NC) 42-02; 2. Jurquize Richardson (RMH) 41-10; 3. Charles Penny (RMH) 41-05.5; Long jump – 1. Darrus Parker (WF) 20-05; 2. Josh Foster (WF) 19-08.75; 3. Antwan Leonard (NC) 19-06.25; High jump – 1. Penny (RMH) 6-04; 2. Mark Brown (NC) 6-00; 3. Mike Jones (NN) 6-00; Pole vault – 1. Devin Williams (NN) 12-00; 2. Robert Chambless (RMH) 11-00; 3. Antonio Wills (RMH) 10-06; 110m Hurdles – 1. Jacobi Jenkins (RMH) 14.21; 2. Allen (NC) 14.23; 3. Devon Jackson (WF) 15.09; 100m Dash – 1. Jenkins (RMH) 10.95; 2. Travis Michael (NC) 11.00; 3. Michael Farr (WF) 11.20; 1,600m Run – 1. Zack Brantley (NN) 4:30; 2. Dillon Hawley (NC) 4:31; 3. Will Bass (NC) 4:39; 400m Dash – 1. Kevin Smith (WF) 50.56; 2. Danny Fretz (NN) 50.72; 3. Antwan Leonard (NC) 51.25; 300m Hurdles – 1. Allen (NC) 38.34; 2. Jenkins (RMH) 38.35; 3. Keith Strickland (RMH) 41.91; 800m Run – 1. Cody Jones (WF) 2:03.47; 2. Brantley (NN) 2:03.88; 3. Francisco Alfaro (RMH) 2:05.00; 200m Dash – 1. Jenkins (RMH) 22.68; 2. Michael (NC) 22.94; 3. Tavon Mosley (NC) 23.28; 3,200 Run – 1. Brantley (NN) 9:47; 2. Hawley (NC) 9:51; 3. Bass (NC) 9:59;

4x800m Relay – Northern Nash (J.J. McLaughlin, Williams, Brantley, Fretz) 8:19; 4x200m Relay – Nash Central (Cameron Holloway, Leonard, Michael, Mosley) 1:30.54; 4x100m Relay – Rocky Mount High (Jordan Ford, Donovan Sinclair, Zack Williams, Jurquize Richardson) 43.78; 4x400m Relay – Wilson Fike 3:27.00.

GIRLS' RESULTS: Shot Put – 1. Denise Harrison (SWE) 33-04; 2. Danita Whitaker (RMH) 32-02; 3. Tierra Norwood (RMH) 31-10; Discus – 1. Harrison (SWE) 98-01; 2. Latifa Bass (NC) 90-07; 3. Norwood (RMH) 76-04; Triple jump – 1. Laura Langley (SN) 33-11.5; 2. Domonica Coleman (SN) 33-08; 3. Jasmine Ricks (RMH) 33-05.5; Long jump – 1. Jennifer Cofield (NC) 17-00; 2. Jessica Barnes (SWE) 16-01; 3. Ricks (RMH) 33-05.5; High jump – 1. Jasmine S. Williams (NC) 5-06; 2. Langley (SN) 5-04; 3. Jessica Harrison (NC) 4-08; Pole vault – 1. Langley (SN) 8-06; 2. Rachel Boykin (SN) 8-03; 3. Rachel Hall (NC) 8-00; 100m Hurdles – 1. Xaveria Bass (NC) 17.08; 2. Kaneesha Sledge (RMH) 18.06; 3. Shecoryia Mercer (NN) 18.44; 100m Dash – 1. Zikeena Parker (RMH) 12.56; 2. Kieyauna Daniel (RMH) 12.73; 3. Chonquela Tyner (RMH) 12.81; 1,600m Run – 1. Miranda Johnson (SN) 5:25; 2. Hilary McKenney (NN) 5:30; 3. Marquita Hines (RMH) 5:53; 400m Dash – 1. J.S. Williams (NC) 1:00.28; 2. Parker (RMH) 1:02.34; 3. Kendria Worley (RMH) 1:04.34; 300m Hurdles – 1. Coleman (SN) 51.13; 2. Sledge (RMH) 52.10; 3. Maggie Ross (NN) 52.69; 800m Run – 1. Johnson (SN) 2:29; 2. Latoya Applewhite (RMH) 2:30; 3. McKenney (NN) 2:35; 200m Dash – 1. Parker (RMH) 25.86; 2. Cofield (NC) 26.70; 3. J.S. Williams (NC) 26.91; 3,200 Run – 1. McKenney (NN) 11:58; 2. Johnson (SN) 12:21; 3. Kate Jablonski (WF) 13:11; 4x800m Relay – Rocky Mount High (Worley, Hines, Kushunn Seabreeze, Erika Wesonga) 10:26.00; 4x200m Relay – Rocky Mount High (Parker, Daniel, Tyner, Aerostata Brown) 1:46.88; 4x100m Relay – Rocky Mount High (Tyner, Daniel, Whitaker, Stephanie Allen) 52.19; 4x400m Relay – Rocky Mount High (Tyner, Applewhite, Ricks, Brown) 4:23.00.