Athletes and coaches from the Northern High School boys track and field team gather around the ceremonial trophy after the Patriots captured the boys 3A State last Saturday afternoon at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
North Point High School’s Antoine Spencer prepares for the start of the boys’ 800-meter relay last Saturday afternoon at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
North Point High School senior Kevin Collins crosses the wire in fifth last Saturday afternoon after running the anchor leg of the Eagles’ 800-meter relay in the Maryland State Track & Field Championships at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
Great Mills High School junior Cierra Neal prepares for her final shot put throw in the 3A State Track & Field Championships at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
Lackey High School’s Cenia Simms clears the final hurdle in last Saturday’s 2A State Track & Field Championships at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
Athletes and coaches from the Northern High School boys track and field team gather around the ceremonial trophy after the Patriots captured the boys 3A State last Saturday afternoon at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
Submitted photo
North Point High School’s Antoine Spencer prepares for the start of the boys’ 800-meter relay last Saturday afternoon at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
Staff photos by Ted Black
North Point High School senior Kevin Collins crosses the wire in fifth last Saturday afternoon after running the anchor leg of the Eagles’ 800-meter relay in the Maryland State Track & Field Championships at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
Staff photo by Ted Black
Great Mills High School junior Cierra Neal prepares for her final shot put throw in the 3A State Track & Field Championships at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
Staff photo by Ted Black
Lackey High School’s Cenia Simms clears the final hurdle in last Saturday’s 2A State Track & Field Championships at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
Regardless of the sport there is typically more than simple close proximity geographically between Southern Maryland Athletic Conference rivals Northern and Huntingtown and last Saturday evening at the Prince George’s Sports Leaning Complex the boys 3A Maryland track and field title was decided belatedly.
Northern’s boys had won both the SMAC and 3A South Region titles and Huntingtown, predictably, was not far behind. On Saturday at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex the two squads were almost inseparable again as the Patriots (57 points) edged the Hurricanes (55) by a grand sum of two points to capture the 3A state crown.
“Going into the state meet I knew it was going to come down to us, Huntingtown and Howard,” said Northern track coach Josh Dawson. “I just didn’t know it was going to be that close. We had a lot of kids set personal records and we scored in a lot more events this year than we had in previous years. But for me, it was great to see the boys get a state title, their first since 1983, and validate all the hard work all the coaches put in.”
Northern’s Ragiariki Lewis captured the 300-meter hurdles (39.17) and the Patriots quartet of Justin Dowell, Jordan Tuck, Daniel Cooley and Nathan Jacobs combined for second in the 1,600 relay (3:23.20). Northern’s Cameron King, Jacobs, Gavin Stevens and Tuck also combined for fourth in the 3,200 relay (8:05.97), one spot better than Chopticon’s Nick Watson, Mason Hoover, Bryce Dufrene and Weston Carr (8:08.29).
Huntingtown’s Adaz Szatanek captured the 3A state title in the shot put (54-03.50) then later Aiden Walker (153-11) and Szataneck (153-10) finished one-two in the boys’ discus. Hurricanes’ senior Thomas Foulkes finished fourth in the 3,200 (9:42.50) and the Huntingtown quartet of Averi Harrod, Domenion Jacobs, Isaiah Andrews and Ian Hays placed fifth in the 3,200 relay (3:27.95).
Northern’s girls settled for fourth in their pursuit of the 3A state title easily won by Howard, but the Patriots had a few highlights. Kacie Hoyle, Gayle Henderson, Noelle Blackmon and Destiny Lewis combined to capture the 1,600 relay (4:02.36) and Gabby Cope won the state title in the discus (121-07. Northern’s Ella Meccia finished third in the 3,200 (11:22.25), Sydney Yankanich took fourth in the 800 (2:21) then Blackmon, Yankanich, Lewis and Gentry Bowie combined for fourth in the 3,200 relay.
Team titles may have eluded the SMAC bigger schools that competed in the 4A state meet, but several athletes from those schools were able to garner individual and relay titles. North Point’s Corinne Ball captured the 300 hurdles (45.43) and finished fourth in both the 100 hurdles (15.46) and the triple jump (37-06.25).
Leonardtown senior Dylan Countiss captured the 4A girls’ high jump (5-02) and Raiders’ teammates Layla James, Eleanor Chamberlain, Emily Maury and Parker O’Brien combined to captured the 3,200 relay (9:27.09). James was also fourth in the 400 (59.30) and O’Brien placed fourth in the 800 (2:21.31).
North Point senior Kevin Collins captured the boys’ 200-meter (21.71) title and finished second in the 100 (10:58) and also anchored the Eagles’ 400 relay (42.74) that began with Antoine Spencer, Martin Spinner and Daniel Ainerua and finished second.
Numerous athletes from SMAC small schools also had a good showing in the 2A state championships last Saturday afternoon at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.
La Plata High School senior Emma Vanden Berg captured both the discus (109-10) and shot put state titles (37-07.50). Patuxent junior Taisiya Reid finished second in both the 100 (12.09) and the 200 (25.42) and also placed third in the high jump. Calvert senior Kristen Prince capped her high school career by finishing fifth in the 3,200 (11:44.13).
Calvert’ Antonio Struhar took second in the 400 (49.92), Aidan Lundberg placed third in the 800 (1:56.97), Xavier Hawkins finished third in both the discus (133-02) and shot put (46-02.50), Jack Hartsig took fourth in the 1,600 (4:25.16), while the Cavaliers relax of Lundberg, Hartsig, Bryce Webster and Ty Misiorek combined for 4th in the 3,200 relay (8:34.92).
Westlake’s Keilen Beeman, Ervin Mitchell, Ebube Emechebe and Kendall Tyson combined to take third in the 400 relay (43.39) and that same quartet also placed fourth in the 800 (1:31.33). Wolverines’ Zccariya Fenwick placed third in the girls’ shot put (34-7.00) won by Vanden Berg.
