When the dust finally settled following the two days of competition at the Prince George’s Sports Complex for the Maryland State track and field championships, one Southern Maryland Athletic Conference team had garnered a state crown and numerous SMAC athletes ascended to the head of the class in individual events and relays.
Despite losing one of their prominent runners to a hamstring injury during the meet, the Westlake High School girls track team captured the 2A state title on Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines accumulated 49 points, best among all the 2A teams in a bracket that included Lackey (11 points, 21st) and Patuxent (10, 23rd).
In one of the pivotal events of the meet, the girls’ 800-meter relay, the Wolverines prevailed when senior anchor Sa’niyah Council sprinted clear from her rivals to enable Westlake to take that event in 1 minute, 48.88 seconds. Westlake had lost one of its key cogs, freshman Gabrielle Garner, less than an hour before the race to a hamstring injury, but Council, sophomore Unique Eubanks and juniors Raven Kennedy and Gabrielle McDuffie combined to triumph.
“After Gabbie [Garner] went down we knew the rest of us all had to step up a little,” said Council, who had been a member of the Westlake girls’ basketball team that earned a berth in the 2A state semifinals. “We’ve been facing a lot of good competition in Charles County meets to get us ready for this.”
The same quartet was also part of the Wolverines’ 400-meter relay that finished second (50.86) in the last event of the day and helped solidify their 2A state title.
Lackey’s 800-meter relay group of freshman Syniah Thompson, sophomore Katlyn Tameling, junior Liyanna Taylor-Sparks and freshman Alicia Hamm combined to take second (1:50.78) in that race.
The Westlake boys track team finished third overall in the final 2A state standings, but the Wolverines captured the 800 and 1,600 relays and senior Jeremiah Maxwell anchored both. Maxwell, who is headed to McDaniel College this fall to be a wide receiver for the football team, admitted he could not have asked for a better way to cap his high school career.
“Winning these last two relays really meant a lot to me,” Maxwell said. “I didn’t have the chance to run outdoor track the previous two years. It looked like we weren’t going to have a season this year. So it’s great being able to have a chance to compete in the state meet. I’m even happier for the girls. Gabbie [Garner] is like a little sister to me.”
In the 3A state championship meet that same afternoon, the North Point boys finished second thanks to a strong showing in the sprints and relays. The Eagles collected 75 points, clearly best among the numerous SMAC teams in the classification and followed by Huntingtown in third (42), Chopticon 15th (15), Northern 21st (11), Great Mills 24th (7) and St. Charles 29th (5).
North Point senior Kroy Myers won the 100 (10.97) and finished second in the 200 (22.06), while senior teammate Morey Campbell captured the high jump (6-4), finished second in the 110 hurdles (15.02) and third in the 300 hurdles (41.55). Myers, Kevin Collins, Jeffery Robinson Jr. and Samurai Matthews combined to take second in the 400 relay (42.65), and Collins, Robinson, Martin Spinner and Antoine Spencer combined to take second in the 800 relay (1:30.41).
SMAC teams finished one-two in the 3,200 relay as Chopitcon sophomore Mason Hoover and seniors Douglas Hoover, Jeffery Wedding and Zachary Wedding combined to capture that event (8:06.06), while the Huntingtown quartet of Thomas Foulkes, Thomas Gorman, Ian Hays and Brandon Stein finished second (8:07.23). Hurricanes’ Aiden Walker and Adam Szatanek finished second and third, respectively, in the discus and Szatanek was second in the shot put.
North Point’s girls may have settled for sixth overall in the final 3A standings, but sophomore Corinne Bell captured the triple jump (36-08.50) and St. Charles sophomore Ariannah Lasker finished second in that event (35-08.00). Northern finished fourth (39), while North Point took sixth (38), St. Charles (29) was ninth, Huntingtown 25th (10) and Great Mills 26th (9). It was the last meet for Northern senior Hannah Mack and Huntingtown senior Jane Gorman, who finished third and fifth, respectively, in the 1,600.
“This was actually my first chance to compete in outdoor states,” said Mack, who is heading to the University of Maryland for cross country and track this fall. “I really could not get a spot on the team my freshman year, then I was injured sophomore year and we missed our junior season because of COVID-19. So, to be able to finally compete in outdoor states really meant a lot.”
“It was a little more humid than we expected, but overall we did okay,” said Gordon, who joined senior teammates Victoria McAnney and Jenna McMaster and sophomore Summer Herbertson on the 3,200 relay team that finished second 9 to open the meet. “My main focus was on the four-by-eight relay. We finished second in that event and that was really the high point of the meet. I didn’t do as well as I hoped in the mile, but it was a quick turnaround after the relay.”
La Plata senior David Strong won the 2A state title in the long jump (22-00.25) and finished second in the 110 hurdles (14.67), while Warriors’ teammate Micah Harrison took second in the shot put (48-00.00) and third in the discus (142-04). Lackey’s Edwin Hall captured the 2A state title in the 300 hurdles (39.73). Patuxent senior Logan Musumeci, last after the opening lap, rallied to finish third in the 3,200 (10:06.28).
McDonough have been the lone SMAC team in the 1A state championship meet on Friday, but the Rams accorded themselves very well. McDonough’s boys amassed 54 points to finish second behind Dunbar (74), while the Rams’ girls collected 58 points to take fourth.
McDonough sophomore Makai Young finished second in the 200 (23.40) and joined junior Aidan Bible and freshmen Montello Washington and Daniel Person on the 800 relay (1:34.78) team that finished second. The Rams’ girls, however, could boast a state champion when sophomore Erica Jenkins, freshman Shanelle Bradley, junior Mariah Young and senior Jacquelyn Person combined to capture the 800 relay (1:47.19).
In their final high school meets, Person also finished second in the 300 hurdles (49.16) and senior teammate Kavina McDonald placed fourth in the 1,600 (5:54.53) and fifth in the 3,200 (14:48.13). Miranda Benjamin, Bradley, Young and Person also combined to take second in the 400 relay (50.46).
Leonardtown, the lone 4A school in SMAC this spring, finished 16th overall in the girls’ standings and 17th in the boys. Raiders’ junior Parker O’Brien took fourth in the 800 (2:20.88) and junior Jadyn Rittle was fourth in the 300 hurdles (50.12) and seventh in the 100 hurdles (17.08).
Leonardtown’s quartet of sophomore Ella Combs and Layla James and seniors Nelle Ray and Tyler Vallandingham placed fourth in the 1,600 relay (4:06.91).
Twitter: @TedSoMdNews
