LANDOVER — In the Southern Maryland Indoor Track and Field Classic, which pitted Southern Maryland Athletic Conference athletes against opponents from public and private schools across the region, the simple fact that scores were not kept allowed numerous runners a little levity.
Northern High School junior Oakley Olson is accustomed to winning the longer races indoors and outdoors without trailing, but Saturday at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex she opted a modest change of tactics.
Olson stalked Herndon’s Gillian Bushee through much of the 1,600-meter run and appeared to have her measured.
When the bell rang signaling the final lap of the one-mile event, Olson was still well within striking distance of Bushee and she appeared poised to prevail. But as the finish line approached, Bushee was still well in front. Olson, however, thought one lap remained and she shifted gears heading into the turn before Northern head coach Josh Dawson informed her she had completed the mile.
“I thought the [lap] counter was wrong, so when I heard the bell I still thought we had another lap.” said Olson, who was second in the 1,600 in 5 minutes 17.92 seconds. She also placed second in the 800 (2:22.80). “I was ready to go around one more time then I heard Dawson yelling at me to get off the track. I tried something different by staying back and then making a kick at the end. I really thought I had another lap to go.”
Several other Calvert County athletes performed well in the distance races, relays and in the field events and perhaps each of them took the next steps toward their first postseason goal of winning a SMAC championship at the same venue on Jan. 25.
In the girls 3,200, Northern’s Hannah Mack took second (11:24.09), Calvert sophomore Kristen Prince finished third (11:31.50) and Huntingtown’s Elise Wilcher placed fourth (12:06.52).
Northern’s Carley Tolson was sixth in the 1,600 (5:30.74), while Allie Droneberger took sixth in the high jump (4-10).
Calvert senior Emily Mutchler won her heat of the 1,000 (3:18.30) and placed fifth overall in that event while establishing a new school record.
Huntingtown’s Anthony Smith captured the high jump (6 feet 6 inches) and was fourth in the 55 dash (6.52). Hurricanes teammate Kenneth King won the shot put (52-1) and Darrien Coates was second in the triple jump (42-11) and the girls 3,200 relay quartet of Jenna McMaster, Victoria McAnney, Wilcher and Jane Gorman finished second (10:18.26).
Northern’s Josh Bauman was sixth in the boys high jump (6-0), seventh in the long jump (19-1 1/2) and fifth in the triple jump (40-5).
From St. Mary’s County, Chopticon got a number of good performances from several boys runners, especially in the distance events.
Zach Wedding won the 3,200 (9:37.70) and was fourth in the 1,600 (4:26.04), while Dylan Mcmahan was second in the 500 (1:07.00). Zach Wedding, Jeff Wedding, Mcmahan and Doug Hoover also combined to capture the 3,200 relay (8:15.44).
“Our four-by-eight relay is starting to come together,” Mcmahan said. “We have a good group, but it was tough to replace Tyler [Modrzejewski]. I was happy with our time in the relay. I was hoping to run better in the 500. I’m still hoping to get down to 1:04 for the state meet.”
Also for Chopticon, Zach Wedding, Jeff Wedding, Donald Litteral and Clay Bowser were fifth in the 1,600 relay (3:36.43) and Nathan Williams was fifth in the shot put (46-7 1/2).
Leonardtown sophomore Parker O’Brien also had a good showing on Saturday, finishing third in the girls 1,600 (5:24.73) and fifth in the 800 (2:26.66). The Raiders’ quartet of Emily Snyder, Ella Combs, Sophia Cadena and Rachel Geiger finished sixth in the 3,200 relay (10:43.88), three spots below the Braves’ group of Reilly Tack, Kaylen Goddard, McKenzie Mozzo and Blair Fowler (10:32.50). Fowler was also sixth in the 3,200 (12:10.95) and Leonardtown’s Ella Muja took fifth in the triple jump (33-10 1/2).
Great Mills’ Tervell Brooks, Durrell Brooks, Jason Stone and Jevontae Fearwell placed third in the boys 800 relay (1:33.67). Individually, Brooks was second in the 55 hurdles (7.77) and Stone took fourth in the long jump (19-10 1/2).
From Charles County, Thomas Stone High School freshman Takiya Henson is among the budding stars in the SMAC. On Saturday, Henson finished second in the 300 (41.10) and seventh in the 55 dash (7.40).
In the 300, Henson was second to Harford Tech’s Caitlyn Bobb, who set a meet record 39.34 with her clocking. Then in the 55, Henson was among four runners separated by seven one-thousandths of a second.
“There’s a lot of really good competition in SMAC,” Henson said. “I feel a lot of pressure on me as a freshman. I’m competing with a lot of really good girls older than me. But I like being part of the high school team and competing at the meets.”
North Point’s Shantia Creek-Barrett took second in the shot put (38-0 1/2), with teammate Mekhya Jones taking fourth (37-9). Dori’an Cheney was second in the high jump (5-2), just behind Westlake’s LeNisha Chance who won the event (5-2).
Also for North Point, J’Miyah Keys, Taylor Poole, Janay Cobb and Lisa Madison finished fifth in the 800 relay (1:48.91).
On the boys side, North Point’s DeVion Bryant was third in the 800 (1:59.47) and eighth in the 1,600 (4:32.53), while the Eagles’ Chase Drewery captured the triple jump (43-9) and was fourth in the 55 hurdles (7.84) and teammate Morey Campbell was second in the high jump (6-2).
North Point’s Derrick Hollie, Gregory Shamenek, Adam Price and Bryant combined to place third in the 3,200 (8:28.30) and Kroy Myers, Arnel Heathington, Christian Homer and Samurai Matthews placed fourth in the 800 relay (1:34.47).
St. Charles’ Ranius Daramola finished second in the long jump (20-0 3/4) and teammate D’Angelo Carroll took third in that event (19-10 1/2). Daramola was also fourth in the triple jump (42-0 1/4) and the Spartans’ Lorenzo Pelham was third in the 55 hurdles (7.81). On the girls side, St. Charles’ Ayanna Milliner was third in the long jump (16-4 1/4).
La Plata’s Stephen Cobb was third in the 500 (1:08.00), while David Strong finished fifth in the long jump (19-9 1/2). Westlake’s Israel Williams was right behind Strong in sixth (19-4).
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