Bell is just third PHS girl to win state track crown

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 24, 2018 8:36 AM

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PRINCETON -- Sometimes you need a "Plan B."

And a little motivation, too.

Princeton senior Shamonda Bell doesn't have fond memories of her trek to Greensboro last spring. She entered the state championship meet with three regional titles -- 100- and 200-meter dashes and 100 hurdles.

Bell failed to make the medal podium.

Fourth place in each?

Unsatisfactory by her standards.

"[This year] I wanted to do way better than last year because I knew I didn't give it as much as I could," Bell said. "I wanted to go there knowing I could do better than I did last year."

She did.

Bell seized the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A state 100-meter hurdle crown in the final meet of her prep career at Irwin Belk Track on the N.C. A&T State campus in Greensboro.

The highly-successful senior took silver in the 300 hurdles and bronze in the 100.

A sprinter at heart, Bell didn't anticipate running hurdles. After all, she claimed a total of 10 Carolina Conference titles in the 100, 200 and 400 combined.

Head coach Mark McLamb had his own thoughts.

Ah, Plan B.

"I think the biggest thing kind of goes back to when she was a freshman," McLamb said. "She had a lot of success at state in the 100 and 200. As the years have gone on, her competitors have gotten faster and she's been about the same with her speed."

The hurdles talk increased.

Bell attempted the event as a sophomore. To no one's surprise, she won the conference title in the 100 hurdles -- the first of three straight in the event.

McLamb eventually dialed back on the sprint entries and removed her from the 4x1 relay. He realized her skill and above-average speed were a combination that could help her excel on the regional and state level.

Practices centered on form, judging steps between hurdles and finishing the race.

Bell broke the school record -- twice -- in both the 100 and 300 hurdles during the regular season.

"She progressively got faster," McLamb said.

At the Mideast Regional, Bell ran six races -- two prelims and four finals. She earned gold in the 200, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles; and picked up a silver medal in the 100.

McLamb felt relaxed about the state meet.

Bell, on the other hand, had something to prove.

After her third-place effort in the 100, she later returned to the track and stretched before she stepped into the starting blocks for the 100 hurdles.

Once the gun sounded, Bell found herself in a neck-to-neck race with Bessemer City junior Ja'Ciya Guthrie.

"I was like 'uh-uh, this isn't happening," Bell said.

She had one burst of energy left in the tank.

A few seconds later...

"Oh my God! I just got first place!" Bell said of her .27-second victory over Guthrie.

"I was so happy. At states, I really wanted a ring so I pushed myself to get there."

Bell became just the third girl in PHS history to win an individual state title. She joins distance specialist Summer Graham and seven-time state champ Jania Bogle, who set the bar for future sprinters.