GREENSBORO - Upcoming Long County sophomore Kai Samuel recently participated at the Adidas Track Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina and came away with a first place.

Samuel competed in the 110 meter hurdles race and won the Freshmen Elite division after running a personal record of 15.25 seconds on Saturday, June 20.

The class of 2029 athlete earned the opportunity to compete at the national competition based on qualifying times from previous track meets throughout the 2026 season.

He faced off against 31 other rising sophomores from across the country in the Freshmen Elite division Saturday morning and came away with the first. His time was .13 seconds faster than the second place finisher.

“I feel like this accomplishment is going to give me a wider range of opportunities in the sport of track and field,” Samuel said.

He also said that he believes “this exposure will allow me to go further” in track and field, especially considering that it was not one of his main sports he was focused on and it was “originally just for fun in the offseason.”

Samuel currently plays four sports for the Blue Tide and is looking to be an integral part of the football and basketball teams in the upcoming seasons.

Despite track not being the sport he intended to focus on, he is now excited to take his experience and help his team compete on a larger stage going into the 2027 season.

“This win goes to show the expectation that we have on ourselves for next year as a team. I didn’t get there alone,” Samuel said. He also noted that he and a few teammates trained together following the 2026 track season and the “coaches made sure we had the training plans.”

“This shows that Long County track and field isn’t just a team, we are a family and we are here to stay.”

The track team had 16 athletes qualify for the 2026 AAA state championship meet, including Samuel. A majority of those athletes will return for the 2027 season.

As far as his future plans go, Samuel - just a sophomore - is not fully set on what he wants to do, but he knows it involves sports.

“I know I want to play at least one (sport) in college and get a scholarship to play. I am still exploring my pathways in high school, but I look forward to what’s to come in the future.”

Samuel was not alone on the trip to North Carolina this past weekend as he was joined by Blue Tide teammates Mason Johnson and Michael Somers. They both competed at the adidas Track Nationals as well and that was one big reason why Samuel attended the adidas competition.

According to his father Christopher, Samuel qualified and registered for the New Balance Outdoor National Meet, also taking place this weekend in Pennsylvania, but ultimately chose to compete with his friends and teammates in North Carolina.

At this weekend’s meet, Samuel also qualified to run in the National Elite division, which features all high school age groups, and placed 54th out of 280 competitors, placing him in the 35th percentile of runners.